This dissertation contains reports of three separate studies in which the connections between work role salience, family role salience, stereotype threat, and work-family conflict were explored. In the first study, findings from a systematic review of the role salience literature were reported. Following a search of four Human Resource Development (HRD) journals, the PsycINFO database, and the Academic Search Complete database, 69 articles and papers were identified for inclusion in the literature review. The literature mostly pertained to career development, with a notable emphasis on life-span, life-space theory. Though, very little of the research in the sample of literature pertained specifically to how individuals negotiate their lives as they occupy multiple life roles. In the second study, meta-analytic techniques were used to identify the nature of the relationships between work role salience, family role salience, and work-family conflict. Hypothesized relationships were based on conservation of resources theory. Data were collected from fourteen papers and articles to test the hypothesized relationships. Work role salience was positively related to work-family conflict (ρ = 0.151; p < 0.01) and family role salience was negatively related to work interference with family (ρ = -0.049; p ≤ 0.05). Family role salience appeared to support healthy involvement in both the work and family roles while work family salience appeared to deplete the necessary resources to balance work and family roles satisfactorily. The third study was an introduction of stereotype threat as a potential moderator of the role salience and work-family conflict relationships. Data were collected from 727 individuals who responded to an online survey. MANOVA was used to conclude that White and Black/African-American participants differed in their responses to the work-family conflict and stereotype threat scales. Regression analyses were used to assess the moderating effects of stereotype threat. Stereotype threat moderated the relationships between parental role salience and family interference with work. Future research efforts should include further examination of the similarities and differences in how the variables interact across racial boundaries and the mechanism(s) by which the stereotype threat affects role salience and work-family conflict relationships.

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abstract: In recent years, women have made significant advances in traditionally male occupations. Despite this progress, women are still underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the model of Achievement Related Choices are two widely accepted career development theories. Both theories highlight the importance of self-efficacy and personal factors in career development; yet, neither of them has considered the predictive power of a specific outcome expectation, anticipated work family conflict (AWFC), in relation to the career development of men and women in STEM undergraduate programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the incremental validity of AWFC over and above that of self-efficacy and role salience, in predicting educational and occupational aspirations of undergraduate students in STEM programs at a large southwestern university. The study provides evidence that the factor structure of the AWFC scale does not hold up with the undergraduate population, and this finding was seen as reason to combine the AWFC subscales into one composite score. In a hierarchical multiple regression higher levels of STEM self-efficacy predicted higher intentions to persist in STEM. Role salience, AWFC, and the gender-AWFC interaction were not significantly related to intentions to persist. Although the study does not provide evidence for the incremental validity of AWFC, it does suggest that work-family balance considerations that have been observed in mature STEM populations may not yet be salient for students at the undergraduate level. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Counseling Psychology 2014

This thesis investigates the experiences of Malaysian dual-career couples combining career and family. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were used to collect data from 23 dual-career couples. The findings indicate that being in a dual-career relationship impacts upon how they perceive the family’s provider role; career priorities; how decisions are made; and how family work is divided. The experiences described by the participants reflect their gender role ideologies and the salience of family and work roles. The results also reveal how interaction between partners can shape their ideologies and role salience, in addition to how religious and cultural values influence their gender attitudes. A number of challenges faced by the couples are identified. The supports and strategies that help them cope with housework, childcare and work demands are also critiqued. The thesis also highlights the implications of the government and organization’s policies and support to the couples and the kind of policies and support that the couples would like to see introduced. The similarities and differences between dual-career couples in the Malaysian context compared with the West are explored. Additionally, the findings extend the use of gender role ideology and role salience theories to develop an understanding of the couples’ experiences. A summarizing framework of their experiences based on the analysis is presented. In summary, the thesis firstly fills a gap in the dual-career couples’ literature which has previously focused upon Western couples only. Secondly, the study has examines the utility of gender role ideology and role salience as a framework to understand the context of dual-career couples. Thirdly, the current research also makes an important methodological contribution in a Malaysian context. Finally, it provides some recommendations for the government and organizations in Malaysia in terms of policies that promote work-family balance and gender equality for dual-career women.

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Saliência de papel é a importância que uma pessoa atribui a um papel em relação aos demais papéis que desempenha no seu contexto social e alguma saliência no papel de trabalhador é requerida para se realizar escolhas adequadas de carreira. A presente tese objetivou identificar e compreender padrões de saliência para uma amostra de adultos brasileiros e verificar algumas associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador e outras dimensões do desenvolvimento de carreira em adultos. Foram realizados três estudos. O primeiro adaptou e validou para uma amostra brasileira de adultos o Inventário de Saliência, que avalia saliência a partir das dimensões participação (envolvimento ativo com atividades no papel), comprometimento (ligação afetiva ao papel) e expectativa de valor (expectativa de realização de valores no papel), para cinco papéis principais: estudo, trabalho, serviço comunitário, casa e família e tempo livre. O segundo verificou padrões de saliência nos papéis de trabalhador e familiares e especialmente no papel conjugal e parental, e seu impacto na satisfação no trabalho entre homens e mulheres casados e com filhos e homens e mulheres solteiros e sem filhos. O terceiro verificou associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador, valores de trabalho e tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira. Os estudos foram realizados a partir de uma coleta única, constituída de 111 homens e 388 mulheres, com idades entre 21 e 65 anos, com nível superior de escolaridade. De forma ampla, os resultados apontaram para adequação do Inventário de Saliência, que demonstrou boas qualidades psicométricas e sensibilidade às mudanças no contexto de vida e trabalho: estudo como parte integrante do papel de trabalhador e algumas mudanças nos padrões de saliência tradicionais de gênero. Alta saliência no papel de trabalhador associou-se a maior importância aos valores de trabalho em geral e, especialmente, realização profissional, bem como a maior satisfação no trabalho e maior envolvimento nas tarefas de exploração e gerenciamento da carreira. Discute-se a importância da avaliação da saliência nas intervenções de carreira, as limitações dos estudos e recomenda-se temas para pesquisas futuras. / Role salience is the importance one gives to a role among other roles that one performs in his /her social context, and a certain amount of some work role salience is required in order to achieve adequate career choices. The present thesis aimed to identify and understand salience patterns in a Brazilian sample of adults and verify some associations between work role salience and other dimensions of career development in adults. Three studies were conducted. The first one adapted and validated the Salience Inventory, which measures salience from three dimensions: participation (active involvement to a role), commitment (affective attachment to a role) and value expectation (values expected to be found in a role) to five major roles: study, work, community service, home and family and spare time. The second study verified salience patterns on work and family roles, especially the marital and parental roles and its impact on work satisfaction among two groups: between married men and women with children / single men and women without children. The third study verified associations between work role salience, work values and career development tasks. The sample of participants comprised 111 men and 388 women with a college education, ages from 21 to 65 years old. The results showed that the Salience Inventory was adequate, that it had good psychometric properties and sensibility to work and life context changes: studying was regarded as part of the worker role and some changes in the traditional gender salience patterns were noticed. High work salience was associated with a bigger importance attributed to working values in general; mainly work achievement, work satisfaction and exploration and management career tasks. The importance of salience assessment to career interventions and study limitations is discussed and issues for further research are recommended.

The aim of the present study was to develop two conceptual frameworks / that are antecedents of family-to-work conflict and enhancement in the family domian, and antecedents of work-to-family conflict and enhancement in the work domain / and to test the relationships that are proposed by these frameworks. A pilot study was conducted with 73 career people to investigate the psychometric qualities of the adapted or constructed measures. The main study was conducted with 293 married career people. Results supported some of the hypotheses. In the family-to-work framework, gender role ideology, family salience, perceptions of family/home demands and core self-ealuations predicted family-to-work conflict. Furthermore, direct effects of family salience and core self-evaluations on family-to-work enhancement were found. In the work-to-family framework, work salience predicted both work-to-family conflict and work-to-family enhancement. In addition, core self evaluations moderated the relationship between subjective work demands and work-to-family conflict and between subjective work demands and work-tofamily enhancement.

Saliência de papel é a importância que uma pessoa atribui a um papel em relação aos demais papéis que desempenha no seu contexto social e alguma saliência no papel de trabalhador é requerida para se realizar escolhas adequadas de carreira. A presente tese objetivou identificar e compreender padrões de saliência para uma amostra de adultos brasileiros e verificar algumas associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador e outras dimensões do desenvolvimento de carreira em adultos. Foram realizados três estudos. O primeiro adaptou e validou para uma amostra brasileira de adultos o Inventário de Saliência, que avalia saliência a partir das dimensões participação (envolvimento ativo com atividades no papel), comprometimento (ligação afetiva ao papel) e expectativa de valor (expectativa de realização de valores no papel), para cinco papéis principais: estudo, trabalho, serviço comunitário, casa e família e tempo livre. O segundo verificou padrões de saliência nos papéis de trabalhador e familiares e especialmente no papel conjugal e parental, e seu impacto na satisfação no trabalho entre homens e mulheres casados e com filhos e homens e mulheres solteiros e sem filhos. O terceiro verificou associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador, valores de trabalho e tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira. Os estudos foram realizados a partir de uma coleta única, constituída de 111 homens e 388 mulheres, com idades entre 21 e 65 anos, com nível superior de escolaridade. De forma ampla, os resultados apontaram para adequação do Inventário de Saliência, que demonstrou boas qualidades psicométricas e sensibilidade às mudanças no contexto de vida e trabalho: estudo como parte integrante do papel de trabalhador e algumas mudanças nos padrões de saliência tradicionais de gênero. Alta saliência no papel de trabalhador associou-se a maior importância aos valores de trabalho em geral e, especialmente, realização profissional, bem como a maior satisfação no trabalho e maior envolvimento nas tarefas de exploração e gerenciamento da carreira. Discute-se a importância da avaliação da saliência nas intervenções de carreira, as limitações dos estudos e recomenda-se temas para pesquisas futuras. / Role salience is the importance one gives to a role among other roles that one performs in his /her social context, and a certain amount of some work role salience is required in order to achieve adequate career choices. The present thesis aimed to identify and understand salience patterns in a Brazilian sample of adults and verify some associations between work role salience and other dimensions of career development in adults. Three studies were conducted. The first one adapted and validated the Salience Inventory, which measures salience from three dimensions: participation (active involvement to a role), commitment (affective attachment to a role) and value expectation (values expected to be found in a role) to five major roles: study, work, community service, home and family and spare time. The second study verified salience patterns on work and family roles, especially the marital and parental roles and its impact on work satisfaction among two groups: between married men and women with children / single men and women without children. The third study verified associations between work role salience, work values and career development tasks. The sample of participants comprised 111 men and 388 women with a college education, ages from 21 to 65 years old. The results showed that the Salience Inventory was adequate, that it had good psychometric properties and sensibility to work and life context changes: studying was regarded as part of the worker role and some changes in the traditional gender salience patterns were noticed. High work salience was associated with a bigger importance attributed to working values in general; mainly work achievement, work satisfaction and exploration and management career tasks. The importance of salience assessment to career interventions and study limitations is discussed and issues for further research are recommended.

Saliência de papel é a importância que uma pessoa atribui a um papel em relação aos demais papéis que desempenha no seu contexto social e alguma saliência no papel de trabalhador é requerida para se realizar escolhas adequadas de carreira. A presente tese objetivou identificar e compreender padrões de saliência para uma amostra de adultos brasileiros e verificar algumas associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador e outras dimensões do desenvolvimento de carreira em adultos. Foram realizados três estudos. O primeiro adaptou e validou para uma amostra brasileira de adultos o Inventário de Saliência, que avalia saliência a partir das dimensões participação (envolvimento ativo com atividades no papel), comprometimento (ligação afetiva ao papel) e expectativa de valor (expectativa de realização de valores no papel), para cinco papéis principais: estudo, trabalho, serviço comunitário, casa e família e tempo livre. O segundo verificou padrões de saliência nos papéis de trabalhador e familiares e especialmente no papel conjugal e parental, e seu impacto na satisfação no trabalho entre homens e mulheres casados e com filhos e homens e mulheres solteiros e sem filhos. O terceiro verificou associações entre saliência no papel de trabalhador, valores de trabalho e tarefas de desenvolvimento de carreira. Os estudos foram realizados a partir de uma coleta única, constituída de 111 homens e 388 mulheres, com idades entre 21 e 65 anos, com nível superior de escolaridade. De forma ampla, os resultados apontaram para adequação do Inventário de Saliência, que demonstrou boas qualidades psicométricas e sensibilidade às mudanças no contexto de vida e trabalho: estudo como parte integrante do papel de trabalhador e algumas mudanças nos padrões de saliência tradicionais de gênero. Alta saliência no papel de trabalhador associou-se a maior importância aos valores de trabalho em geral e, especialmente, realização profissional, bem como a maior satisfação no trabalho e maior envolvimento nas tarefas de exploração e gerenciamento da carreira. Discute-se a importância da avaliação da saliência nas intervenções de carreira, as limitações dos estudos e recomenda-se temas para pesquisas futuras. / Role salience is the importance one gives to a role among other roles that one performs in his /her social context, and a certain amount of some work role salience is required in order to achieve adequate career choices. The present thesis aimed to identify and understand salience patterns in a Brazilian sample of adults and verify some associations between work role salience and other dimensions of career development in adults. Three studies were conducted. The first one adapted and validated the Salience Inventory, which measures salience from three dimensions: participation (active involvement to a role), commitment (affective attachment to a role) and value expectation (values expected to be found in a role) to five major roles: study, work, community service, home and family and spare time. The second study verified salience patterns on work and family roles, especially the marital and parental roles and its impact on work satisfaction among two groups: between married men and women with children / single men and women without children. The third study verified associations between work role salience, work values and career development tasks. The sample of participants comprised 111 men and 388 women with a college education, ages from 21 to 65 years old. The results showed that the Salience Inventory was adequate, that it had good psychometric properties and sensibility to work and life context changes: studying was regarded as part of the worker role and some changes in the traditional gender salience patterns were noticed. High work salience was associated with a bigger importance attributed to working values in general; mainly work achievement, work satisfaction and exploration and management career tasks. The importance of salience assessment to career interventions and study limitations is discussed and issues for further research are recommended.

This study investigated how Work-Family Conflict was related to Role Salience and Job level (investigated in terms of the amount of job demand and job control associated with different job levels) among women from a Collectivistic culture. A sample of 65 teachers was used. Although the results of the study showed no correlations between Work-Family Conflict and both role salience and job level, this was attributed to the high data skewness, thereby reducing the chances of detecting correlations. The high positive data skewness was possibly caused by the floor effect, which was the situation that the sample consisted of only female teachers from a Collectivistic culture. The high negative data skewness was possibly caused by the ceiling effect, which is the situation that the women in this sample have a Collectivistic cultural orientation, and are therefore highly likely to consider their home role as more salient. Moreover, correlations between Work Family Conflict and Job demand have been found to be higher in Individualistic cultures compared to Collectivistic cultures. There also seems to be no differences in job control among teachers occupying different job levels, and hence, no correlations were detected. Further analyses depicted that the teachers within this sample considered their home role as more salient. Moreover, despite their commitment to both their home role and occupational role, the data indicated that the sample experienced low levels of Work Family conflict.