Latent Profile Analysis of Unmarried Men and Women According to the Views on Marriage and Childrearing in South Korea: A Study of the Influence of Individualism and Collectivism

Objectives: This study aimed to classify latent profiles of unmarried adults based on their views on marriage and childrearing, explore the influence of cultural orientation on the profiles, and examine differences in marriage intention. Methods: Data were collected from 886 single men and women aged 25-40. Latent profile analysis was conducted separately for each sex. Results: First, both men and women were classified into three latent profiles. The male profiles were named “Affective/Traditional Family-Oriented” (17%), “Ambiguous-Neutral” (71%), and “Couple-Centered & Childrearing Avoidant” (12%). The female profiles were named “Traditional Family-Oriented” (11%), “Ambiguous-Neutral” (67%), and “Career/Self-Oriented & Childrearing Avoidant” (22%). Second, for men, subfactors of collectivism (advice and harmony) and a subfactor of individualism (responsibility) were associated with the profiles. For women, subfactors of collectivism (advice and harmony) were associated with the profiles. Third, there were significant differences in marriage intentions across profiles for both men and women. Conclusions: The results indicate that while men and women show overall similarities in the latent profile classifications of marriage and childrearing, there are notable differences as well. Detailed explanations of the findings are discussed.