Abstract
This research examined the effects of parental participation in work and family roles on perceptions of responsibility for their children's school adjustment. We hypothesized that mothers would be perceived as being more responsible than fathers, and that participation in nontraditional work and family roles would influence perceived responsibility. Contrary to the first hypothesis, college student subjects perceived fathers as being more responsible than mothers for good adjustment, but not for poor adjustment. Consistent with hypotheses, role participation influenced perceptions of responsibility, but only for mothers. Divorced mothers were credited less and blamed more for school adjustment than married mothers, especially when they worked outside the home. Implications of the findings for future research on role participation are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Braverman, L. B. (1989). Beyond the myth of motherhood. In M. McGoldrick, C. M. Anderson, & F. Walsh (Eds.), Women and families. New York: Free Press.
Bridges, J. S. (1987). College females' perceptions of adult roles and occupational fields for women. Sex Roles, 16, 591–605.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986). Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22, 723–742.
Etaugh, C., & Nekolny, K. (1990). Effect of employment status and marital status on perceptions of mothers. Sex Roles, 23, 273–280.
Etaugh, C., & Poertner, P. (1991). Effects of occupational prestige, employment status, and marital status on perceptions of mothers. Sex Roles, 24, 345–354.
Etaugh, C., & Study, G. G. (1989). Perceptions of mothers: Effects of employment status, marital status, and age of child. Sex Roles, 20, 59–70.
Greenberger, E., Goldberg, W. A., Crawford, T. J., & Granger, J. (1988). Beliefs about the consequences of maternal employment for children. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 12, 35–59.
Herzog, A. R., Bachman, J. G., & Johnston, L. D. (1983). Paid work, child care, and housework: A national survey of high school seniors' preferences for sharing responsibilities between husband and wife. Sex Roles, 9, 109–135.
Hoffman, L. W. (1984). Work, family, and the socialization of the child. In R. D. Parke (Ed.), Review of child development research: Vol. 7, The family. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Jackson, L. A., & Sullivan, L. A. (1990). Perceptions of multiple role participants. Social Psychology Quarterly, 53, 274–282.
Jussim, L. (1986). Self-fulfilling prophecies: A theoretical and integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 93, 429–445.
Lauer H. (1985). Jobs in the 1980s: A sourcebook for policymakers. In D. Yankelovich, H. Zetterberg, B. Strumpel, & M. Shanks (Eds.), The world at work. New York: Octagon.
Russell, J. E. A., & Rush, M. C. (1987). The effects of sex and marital/parental status on performance evaluations and attributions. Sex Roles, 17, 221–236.
Silverstein, L. B. (1991). Transforming the debate about child care and maternal employment. American Psychologist, 46, 1025–1032.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1987). Statistical abstract of the United States (107th ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.
Weitzman, L. (1985). The divorce revolution. New York: Free Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jackson, L.A., Sullivan, L.A. Parental role participation and perceptions of responsibility for children's school adjustment. Sex Roles 28, 485–491 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289610
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289610