Exploring Work and Family Distractions: Antecedents and Outcomes.

Drawing from expansionist theory and time-based role-conflict theory, this research investigated antecedents and outcomes of time spent in 1 role while distracted or preoccupied by another role. Survey data from a sample of 171 working mothers generally supported hypotheses linking work and family distractions to role quality. Work-role overload was positively related to work distractions experienced at home, and traditional gender-role expectations were positively related to family distractions experienced at work. In terms of outcomes, work distractions at home were negatively related to job satisfaction. Results illustrate the importance of role quality and the efficacy of alternate operationalizations of role time in the effort to better understand the interface between work and family. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal Working Conditions and Child Well-Being in Welfare-Leaving Families.

In the wake of welfare reform, thousands of low-income single mothers have transitioned into the labor market. In this article, the authors examine how the work conditions of mothers leaving welfare for employment are associated with the emotional well-being of 372 children ages 5 to 15 years. The authors examine the cumulative incidence, over a 5-year period, of maternal non-family-friendly work conditions, including long work hours, erratic work schedules, nonday shifts, and lengthy commute times, in association with children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and levels of positive behavior. The authors found that mothers' lengthy commute times are associated with higher levels of internalizing problem behaviors and lower levels of positive behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work/family demands, work flexibility, work/family conflict, and their consequences at work: A national probability sample in Taiwan.

The aim of this research was to explore relations between work/family demands, work flexibility, work/family conflict, and work-related outcomes in the cultural context of Chinese society, using a national probability sample. For Taiwanese employees, work demands were positively related to work/family conflict, whereas both work and family demands were positively related to family/work conflict. Work/family conflict was negatively related to job satisfaction and family/work conflict to organizational commitment. More importantly, the authors found that organizational policies and practices such as work flexibility could alleviate feelings of work interfering with family, further enhancing job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It is recommended that various family-friendly company policies be reformulated taking into account core cultural values such as individualism-collectivism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reduction of Work-Family Conflict Through the Use of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation Behaviors.

Prior research has examined both the antecedents to and outcomes of work-family conflict. However, little is known about the existence and efficacy of behavioral strategies that may be used by individuals to reduce the amount of stressors experienced both on the job and at home, which result in work-family conflict. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) behaviors in relation to both job and family stressors and work-in-family (WIF) conflict and family-in-work (FIW) conflict. Results suggest that the use of general SOC behaviors in both the work and family domains are related to lower amounts of job and family stressors and subsequently lower amounts of WIF conflict and FIW conflict. In general, these results held true even when additional variables (e.g., hours worked, gender, job involvement, family involvement, social support, and supervisor support) were controlled. Implications of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family Caregivers of Stroke Survivors: Characteristics of Caregivers at Risk for Depression.

Objective: To examine characteristics that best predict family caregivers of stroke survivors at risk for depression. Survivor and caregiver demographic variables and caregiver general health, problem-solving skills, social support, satisfaction with rehabilitation health care services, preparedness, and burden were examined. Design: A correlational design. Participants: Seventy-four family caregivers of individuals receiving inpatient stroke rehabilitation were interviewed 1-2 days prior to their relative's discharge. Main Outcome Measure: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (L. S. Radloff. 1977). Results: Caregivers at risk for depression had a negative orientation toward solving problems, a lack of caregiver preparedness, and impaired social functioning secondary to their own health. Conclusions: Rehabilitation psychologists should be aware that these variables are important in predicting family caregivers of stroke survivors at risk for depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal, Family, and Work Correlates of Role Strain in Low-Income Mothers.

Welfare reform brought large numbers of low-income mothers into the labor force, yet little research has examined how low-income mothers manage the multiple demands of parenthood and employment. Using Hobfoll's conservation of resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001) to guide hypotheses, the authors examined correlates of role strain in a racially diverse sample of low-income mothers (N = 276) combining work/school with family responsibilities. Results from regression analyses indicate that characteristics that deplete resources, particularly family factors (e.g., more young children, having a child with a disability) and work characteristics (e.g., long work hours, work transitions), related to higher maternal role strain, whereas greater work flexibility predicted lower role strain. Findings suggest that interventions directed toward increasing women's resources may help reduce role strain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury: Predicting caregivers at risk for probable depression.

Objective: To determine the percentage of family caregivers of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) with probable depression and to test the hypothesis that dysfunctional problem-solving abilities would be significantly predictive of risk status after taking into account important demographic characteristics and caregiver health. Design: Correlational and logistic regression analyses of data collected in a cross-sectional design. Participants: Eighteen men and 103 women caregivers (mean age of caregivers = 45.66 years, SD = 12.88) of individuals with SCI. Main Outcome Measure: The Inventory to Diagnose Depression. Results: Nineteen caregivers (15.7%) met criteria on the Inventory to Diagnose Depression for a major depressive disorder. A dysfunctional problem-solving style was significantly predictive of caregiver depression, regardless of the severity of physical impairment of the care recipient or the physical health of the caregiver and caregiver demographic variables. Conclusions: The percentage of caregivers with probable depressive disorder may parallel that observed among persons with SCI, using a more conservative self-report measure designed to assess symptoms associated with a depressive syndrome. Family caregivers with a dysfunctional problem-solving style and assisting individuals with more severe injuries may have probable depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family lives and friendships: The perspectives of children in step-, single-parent, and nonstep families.

Children's reports on their experiences in different family settings (stepfamilies, single-parent families, and intact families), their contact with friends, and the quality of their friendships were studied with data from 238 children drawn from a community sample. A particular focus was on children's confiding and communication: children's recall of communication about family transitions and their current communication about stepfamily issues with family and friends. Friends were found to be key confidants. The relations between children's family lives (confiding, parent–child relationships, family activities, involvement in parental conflict, and communication about stepfamily issues) and their friendships were investigated and found to be linked to biological relatedness and family setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting Infant Maltreatment in Low-Income Families: The Interactive Effects of Maternal Attributions and Child Status at Birth.

Maternal attributions and child neonatal status at birth were assessed as predictors of infant maltreatment (harsh parenting and safety neglect). The population included low-income, low-education families who were primarily Hispanic. Child maltreatment during the 1st year of life (N = 73) was predicted by neonatal status (low Apgar scores, preterm status), as moderated by mothers' attributions. The highest levels of maltreatment were shown within dyads that included a mother with low perceived power and an at-risk infant. Partial support was found for maternal depressive symptoms as mediators of harsh parenting among at-risk infants. It is suggested that lack of perceived parental power constrains investment in protective relationships and fosters sensitization to potential threat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Family Context of Preadolescents' Orientations Toward Education: Effects of Maternal Orientations and Behavior.

This study examines different pathways of maternal influence on the value that preadolescents attribute to mathematics and German language as domains of education. On the basis of data from 355 students and their mothers, the author tested effects of mothers' education, general parenting practices, leisure pursuits, joint activities with their children, school involvement, and their own evaluation of mathematics and German language. Results of structural equation modeling point to students' perceptions of maternal values as a central factor affecting students' values. Perceived maternal values vary depending on mothers' behavior rather than on values actually reported by mothers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of Injustice in Family Work: The Role of Psychological Distress.

During the transition to parenthood, perceived imbalances in family work typically increase. Little is known, however, about which individuals are especially prone to perceive unfairness in the division of family work during this time. Using data from a longitudinal study of married couples expecting their first child and controlling for marital distress and other relevant variables, we observed that when husbands were psychologically distressed, both they and their wives were subsequently more likely to perceive unfairness to wives in the division of family work. No analogous significant and prospective effects of wives' levels of distress on their own or their husbands' perceptions of unfairness were found. We also found that once wives perceived the amount of child care they did as unfair, both they and their husbands were later more likely to experience psychological distress, controlling for marital distress and other relevant variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Families matter: Psychology of the family and the family of psychology.

Research on the family lies at the interface between basic and applied science. After tracing the scientific and practise roots of research on the family, I highlight that research to date has neglected the perspective of fathers. I propose that as in regular families, the family of Canadian psychology is diverse and constantly evolving. Key findings in psychology of the family include the importance of multiple perspectives, the benefits of quality time, and the toxic effects of conflict. These concepts apply equally to the family of Canadian psychology. I suggest that through involvement in the Canadian Psychological Association, psychologists can be enriched by multiple perspectives, can benefit from communication with one another to work together to advance psychology for all. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The economic impact of work and family issues: Child care satisfaction and financial considerations of employed mothers.

This article introduces the role of financial considerations into work–family research by considering the costs and benefits of employed mothers’ child care satisfaction. Data from 2 samples offer empirical support for the addition of a fourth factor to a current measure of child care satisfaction so that the measure reflects mothers’ satisfaction not only with caregiver attentiveness, communication, and dependability but also with child care-related financial considerations. This article also discusses relationships between child care satisfaction and work–family conflict and job satisfaction for this population. The results of this study provide both organizations and child care providers with a broader picture of the concerns that employed mothers face as they search for reliable, affordable child care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Male gender role conflict, depression, and anxiety: Clarification and generalizability to women.

The purpose of this study was (a) to determine whether the relationship between male gender role conflict variables and mental health generalizes to women and (b) to investigate other aspects of social gender roles and mental health. An adaptation of the Gender Role Conflict Scale (I. M. O'Neil, B. J. Helms, R. K. Gable. L. David, & L. S. Wrightsman, 1986) and measures of depression and anxiety were administered to male and female college students. Men showed more restricted emotionality. more restricted affection, greater appropriate and inappropriate success, and more restricted affection, particularly for other men; there were no gender differences related to the conflict between work and family. However, for the most part these variables were related to depression and anxiety in similar ways in men and women. The major predictor of depression and anxiety for men and women was conflict between work and family. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital conflict, maternal and paternal parenting, and child adjustment: A test of mediation and moderation.

Parenting was examined as a mediator of associations between marital and child adjustment, and parent gender was examined as a moderator of associations among marital, parental, and child functioning in 226 families with a school-age child (146 boys). Parenting fully mediated associations between marital conflict and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Parent gender did not moderate associations when data from the full sample or families with girls only were evaluated. Parent gender did moderate associations when families with boys were evaluated, with the association between marital conflict and parenting stronger for fathers than mothers. A trend suggested fathers' parenting may be more strongly related to internalizing behavior and mothers' parenting may be more strongly related to externalizing behavior in boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Responding to the Needs of Children, Families, and Schools: The 2002 Multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology.

The preparations for and the implementation of the 2002 Multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology are described. The conference goals were to (a) achieve consensus on current and future demands for school psychologists and our profession's ability to meet those demands; (b) conceptualize the practice of school psychology in the face of diminishing numbers and increasing demand for services; and (c) develop an agenda to use the resources we have to maximize the benefits to the children and schools that we serve. A problem-solving model served as the conceptual foundation of the conference. School psychologists at the host site in Indianapolis and 30 remote sites collaborated to identify threats, opportunities, strategies, and action plans to respond better to the needs of children, families and schools. The conference not only generated excitement and hope for our future, but also provided a framework to propel the current and future practice of school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Family Bereavement Program: Efficacy evaluation of a theory-based prevention program for parentally bereaved children and adolescents.

This article presents an experimental evaluation of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), a 2-component group intervention for parentally bereaved children ages 8-16. The program involved separate groups for caregivers, adolescents, and children, which were designed to change potentially modifiable risk and protective factors for bereaved children. The evaluation involved random assignment of 156 families (244 children and adolescents) to the FBP or a self-study condition. Families participated in assessments at pretest, posttest, and 11-month follow-up. Results indicated that the FBP led to improved parenting, coping, and caregiver mental health and to reductions in stressful events at posttest. At follow-up, the FBP led to reduced internalizing and externalizing problems, but only for girls and those who had higher problem scores at baseline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the Special Section on families and religion: A call for a recommitment by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Although religion is an important aspect of human experience, the topic is rarely evident in psychology journals. To correct this omission was the goal of this special section on families and religion. In the introduction to the section several reasons for the neglect of this topic are noted as well as the relevance of religion for family research and practice. The contributions of the articles in this section are highlighted. Finally, recommendations for a future research agenda are offered and the clinical implications of this topic are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working nonstandard schedules and variable shifts in low-income families: Associations with parental psychological well-being, family functioning, and child well-being.

Longitudinal data from the New Hope Project-an experimental evaluation of a work-based antipoverty program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin-was used to explore concurrent and lagged associations of nonstandard schedules and variable shifts with parental psychological well-being, regularity of family mealtimes, and child well-being among low-income families. Working a combination of variable shifts and nonstandard hours was associated concurrently with lower teacher-reported school performance and engagement and higher levels of externalizing behavior problems. Fixed nonstandard schedules were associated with lagged decreases in parent-reported school performance, whereas working variable shifts was associated with lagged increases in parent-reported school performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting Style of Mexican, Mexican American, and Caucasian-Non-Hispanic Families: Social Context and Cultural Influences.

To begin accounting for cultural and contextual factors related to child rearing in Mexican-descent (MD; Mexican American and Mexican immigrant) families in the United States, the current study examined parenting practices in 2-parent families of Mexican, MD, and Caucasian-non-Hispanic (CNH) parents. Parents in all groups reported using authoritative practices more often than authoritarian strategies. MD parents reported greater use of authoritarian practices than Mexican and CNH parents. Results suggest that previously found cultural variations in parenting between MD parents and CNH parents may be more related to the ecological context of MD families than to an affiliation with Mexican culture. Clinicians should explore the positive qualities of authoritative parenting in MD families along with the potential motivations for using authoritarian strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)