Table of Contents
Description
This measure, (Job-Family Role Strain Scale) developed by Bohen and Viveros-Long (1981), describes the frequency with which respondents experience stress and strain related to combining work and parenting. The measure assesses multiple aspects of role strain including ambiguity about norms, lack of congruity between personality and social roles, insufficiency of resources for role fulfillment, low rewards for role conformity, conflict between norms, and role overload.
Reliability
Coefficient alpha values ranged from .88 to .91 (Duxbury & Higgins, 1991; Higgins, Duxbury, & Irving, 1992; Thomas & Ganster, 1995).
Validity
Duxbury and Higgins (1991) showed that work-family role strain was empirically distinct from work conflict, family conflict, work and family involvement, and work and family expectations. Work-family role strain correlated positively with work involvement, work expectations, depres sion, control at work, family expectations, and perceptions of family sup portive policies at work. Work-family role strain correlated negatively with quality of work life, quality of family life, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction (Duxbury & Higgins, 1991; Higgins et al., 1992; Thomas & Ganster, 1995).
Source
Bohen, H., & Viveros-Long, A. (1981). Balancing jobs and family life. Phil adelphia: Temple University Press. Items were taken from Appendix H, pp. 274, 278. Reprinted with permission.
Items
Responses are obtained on a 5-point Likert-type scale where I = always, 2 = most of the time, 3 = some of the time, 4 = rarely, and 5 = never.
- My job keeps me away from my family too much
- I feel I have more to do than I can handle comfortably
- I have a good balance between my job and my family time
- I wish I had more time to do things for my family
- I feel physically drained when I get home from work
- I feel emotionally drained when I get home from work
- I feel I have to rush to get everything done each day
- My time off from work does not match other family members’ schedules well
- I feel I don’t have enough time for myself
- I worry that other people at work think my family interferes with my job
- I feel more respected than I would if I didn’t have a job
- I worry whether I should work less and spend more time with my children
- I am a better parent because I am not with my children all day
- I find enough time for the children
- I worry about how my kids are when I am working
- I have as much patience with my children as I would like
- I am comfortable with the arrangements for my children while I am working
- Making arrangements for my children while I work involves a lot of effort
- I worry that other people feel I should spend more time with my