Abstract
This study examined primarily middle-class Caucasian college students' (n = 460) perceptions of mothers as a function of their employment-child-rearing pattern (continuous employment following 6 weeks of maternity leave, interrupted employment until the child was in first grade, or discontinued employment after the child's birth) and employment motive (fulfillment, financial, or unstated). Results showed that continuously employed compared to other mothers were perceived as less communal and were less positively evaluated. Further, continuously employed mothers were seen as less communal if their employment was for fulfillment rather than financial necessity. Inferences about the mother's perceived commitment to the maternal role help explain some of the communality findings, and perceived maternal role commitment and communality explain the evaluation findings. Discussion focuses on college students' views of normative roles and characteristics for women.
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This research was supported by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation. The authors thank Laurin Hafner for his help with the statistical analysis and they express their appreciation to the student experimenters who collected the data: Stacy Wyman, Gerald Limone, Tara Purcell and Keith Downes.
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Bridges, J.S., Etaugh, C. College students' perceptions of mothers: Effects of maternal employment-childrearing pattern and motive for employment. Sex Roles 32, 735–751 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01560187
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01560187