The purpose of the study was to determine whether the self-perceptions of mothers who remained at home with infants differed from self-perceptions of mothers who were employed outside the home with infants. Selected aspects of the mothering role and employment orientation were examined. The sample consisted of seventy-five mothers of twelve- to eighteen-month-old infants. The subjects resided in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio.A survey instrument was developed through a pilot study to gather information needed to test the null hypothesis. All subjects were interviewed personally in their own homes to obtain data for the study. The .05 level of significance was established as the probability level for the nonacceptance of the hypothesis.The subjects were placed in one of two groups, mothers who remained at home with their infant and mothers who were employed outside the home for more than twenty hours a week. Those employed outside the home must have been employed for the six months before and including the month of the interview. A multivariate analysis of variance and associated univariate analysis of variance were used to test the study hypothesis.The two groups of mothers were found to differ significantly from one another on one of the six measures of self-perception. The six measures statistically analyzed were:(1) self-esteem, (2) childrearing behavior, (3) guilt, (4) employment orientation, (5) monetary consideration relative to employment and intrinsic motivation relative to employment, and (6) effect on the family. The measure that contributed to the rejection of the hypothesis was the variable "effect on the family." There was no difference between the. two groups on the remaining five variables.A descriptive analysis of open-ended questions yielded further information: (1) mothers with infants preferred their present roles, whether they remained at home or were employed outside the home; (2) mothers enjoyed their roles whether at home or at work outside the home; (3) mothers employed outside the home were more likely to express feelings of guilt when leaving their infants than mothers who remained at home; and (4) mothers were supported by their husbands in their decisions to remain at home or to be employed outside the home.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/180816 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Singleton, Barbara A. |
| Contributors | Pogue, Betty J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 2, viii, 100 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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