Different paths to the same choice: personality and singlehood attitudes among young adults in China and Malaysia

Abstract

As marriage rates decline and singlehood becomes increasingly common among young adults worldwide, understanding the individual differences associated with attitudes toward singlehood has become increasingly relevant. This study examined the relationships between Big Five personality traits and attitudes toward singlehood among young adults in China and explored whether the findings were reproduced in a Malaysian sample. Study 1 included 303 young adults in China, and Study 2 included 324 young adults in Malaysia. Participants completed an online survey comprising the 15-item Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory and the 9-item Attitudes toward Singlehood Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between Big Five personality traits and attitudes toward singlehood in each sample. In the Chinese sample, Conscientiousness was positively associated with favorable attitudes toward singlehood, whereas Extraversion was negatively associated with them. In the Malaysian sample, Agreeableness was positively associated with attitudes toward singlehood, while Extraversion was again negatively associated. The findings showed both reproduced and sample-specific patterns in the personality correlates of attitudes toward singlehood. The China-specific association with Conscientiousness may be understood in relation to strong academic and career pressures, whereas the Malaysia-specific association with Agreeableness may be related to the cultural emphasis on social harmony. However, these cultural explanations remain tentative because the proposed mechanisms were not directly measured. Personality traits were associated with attitudes toward singlehood in both China and Malaysia, although the patterns of association differed between the two samples. Extraversion showed a consistent negative association with favorable attitudes toward singlehood, while Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were relevant only in the respective Chinese and Malaysian samples. These findings contribute to understanding the personality correlates of attitudes toward singlehood and the extent to which these associations can be reproduced across different national samples.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Psychology, 2026 · DOI ↗