Abstract
This study adds to our knowledge regarding college students' perceptions of employed mothers by examining the effects of their motive for employment on these impressions. Participants were students at a public university with a primarily Caucasian lower middle-class student body. Students read a brief description of a mother of an infant. She was presented as either currently or previously employed, and her motive for employment was personal fulfillment or financial need. Participants rated the stimulus person's communal traits and indicated their approval of her. Analyses of variance showed that the employed, compared to the nonemployed, mother received lower communality and approval ratings. In addition, the devaluation of the employed mother's communality was greater for the stimulus person with a fulfillment than a financial motive. The findings are discussed in the context of A. H. Eagly's [(1987)(M), Sex Differences in Social Behavior: A Social-Role Interpretation, Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum] social role theory of gender stereotypes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baber, K. M., & Monaghan, P. (1988). College women's career and motherhood expectations: New options, old dilemmas. Sex Roles, 19, 189–203.
Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 155–162.
Bridges, J. S. (1987). College females' perceptions of adult roles and occupational fields for women. Sex Roles, 16, 591–604.
Bridges, J. S. (1989). Sex differences in occupational values. Sex Roles, 20, 205–211.
Brigham, J. C. (1991). Social psychology (2nd. ed.). New York: Harper Collins.
Eagly, A. H. (1987). Sex differences in social behavior: A social-role interpretation. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Eagly, A. H., & Steffen, V. J. (1984). Gender stereotypes stem from the distribution of women and men into social roles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 735–754.
Eagly, A. H., & Steffen, V. J. (1986). Gender stereotypes, occupational roles, and beliefs about part-time employees. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 10, 252–262.
Etaugh, C., & Folger, D. (1990, June). Perceptions of parents: Effects of gender, employment status and spouse's employment status. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Society, Dallas, TX.
Etaugh, C., & Kasley, C. (1981). Evaluating competence: Effects of sex, marital status, and parental status. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 6, 196–203.
Etaugh, C., & Nekolny, K. (1990). Effects of employment status and marital status on perceptions of mothers. Sex Roles, 23, 273–280.
Etaugh, C., & Petroski, B. (1985). Perceptions of women: Effects of employment status and marital status. Sex Roles, 12, 329–339.
Etaugh, C., & Study, G. G. (1989). Perceptions of mothers: Effects of employment status, marital status, and age of child. Sex Roles, 20, 59–70.
Fiorentine, R. (1988). Increasing similarity in the values and life plans of male and female college students? Evidence and implications. Sex Roles, 18, 143–158.
Gray, J. D. (1983). The married professional woman: An examination of her role conflicts and coping strategies. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 7, 235–243.
House, E. A. (1986). Sex role orientation and marital satisfaction in dual-role and one-provider couples. Sex Roles, 14, 245–259.
Machung, A. (1986). Talking career, thinking job: Gender differences in career and family expectations of Berkeley seniors. Unpublished manuscript, University of California-Berkeley, Center for the Study, Education, and Advancement of Women.
Nieva, V. F., & Gutek, B. A. (1981). Women and work: A psychological perspective. New York: Praeger.
O'Connell, L., Betz, M., & Kurth, S. (1989). Plans for balancing work and family life: Do women pursuing nontraditional and traditional occupations differ. Sex Roles, 20, 35–45.
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.
Russo, N. F. (1976). The motherhood mandate. Journal of Social Forces, 32, 143–154.
Russo, N. F. (1979). Overview: Sex roles, fertility and the motherhood mandate. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4, 7–15.
Shehan, C. L. (1984). Wives' work and psychological well-being: An extension of Gove's social role theory of depression. Sex Roles, 11, 881–899.
Spence, J. T., & Helmreich, R. L. (1978). Masculinity & femininity: Their psychological dimensions, correlates, & antecedents, Austin: University of Texas Press.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1990). Statistical abstract of the United States: 1990 (110th ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation. The authors wish to thank Laurin Hafner for his help with the statistical analysis, and Kim Mortimer and John Suprenant for their help in the data collection.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bridges, J.S., Orza, A.M. The effects of employment role and motive for employment on the perceptions of mothers. Sex Roles 27, 331–343 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289943
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289943