Introduction: In Iranian society, where marriage has traditionally been regarded as one of the fundamental social values, the significant increase in the number of unmarried young adults reflects ongoing cultural transformations and changing attitudes toward marriage, which have contributed to a growing tendency toward singlehood. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify and classify the psychological typologies of attitudes toward singlehood.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a content analysis approach. Data were collected from three primary sources: interviews with single young adults, interviews with marriage and family experts, and a review of domestic and international literature. A purposive sample of 131 single university students (79 males and 52 females) studying in Tehran in 2025 was selected. Among them, 20 participants took part in semi-structured interviews, while 111 completed an open-ended questionnaire on attitudes toward singlehood. In addition, 14 experts were interviewed to enrich the data. Following a screening process of 200 relevant sources, 12 Persian and 9 international references were selected and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006).
Results: Seven major attitudes toward singlehood were identified: negative attitude, positive attitude, ambivalent-confused attitude, idealistic attitude, passive attitude, realistic attitude, and anxious-avoidant attitude.
Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that remaining single among young adults is not always a voluntary and satisfying choice. Rather, it is often associated with various constraints, anxieties, pessimistic beliefs, and insufficient personal, economic, and social readiness for marriage. Therefore, macro-level policymaking and targeted planning aimed at creating favorable conditions for marriage and reducing existing barriers may facilitate and accelerate the transition to marriage and contribute to the development of stable and satisfying marital relationships.