The Use of Objective versus Subjective Measures of Role Demand in Explaining the Relationship between Work/Family Roles and Psychological Distress.
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Date
2009-11-30
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Abstract
This thesis analyzes a subsample of 935 men and women from the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, all of whom hold the simultaneous roles of parent, spouse, and worker. Its purpose is to examine some of the differential effects that objective role demands and subjective experiences of role demands have on psychological well-being for those juggling multiple roles. Specifically, I investigate the hypotheses that a) subjective experiences of role demand, including perceived work-family interference and perceived role strain, will have independent effects on psychological distress even when considered alongside more objective circumstantial variables, including the amount of time required or flexibility afforded by a role or roles; b) perceptions of work-family interference or role strain will interact with these objective variables when predicting distress; and c) these effects will vary by gender based on differing internalized expectations related to role performance. OLS regression analyses suggest that perceived work-family interference and role strain do have independent effects on psychological well-being, and that the perception of work-family interference interacts with the amount of time spent on home chores to predict distress. Separate analyses by gender produced some additional effects, but they were not always in the predicted directions.
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symbolic interactionism, psychological well-being, social roles, work-family conflict
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Degree
MS
Discipline
Sociology
