The Effects of Occupational Prestige, Marital Status and Technological Level of Job on Perception of Working Mothers

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of mothers as a function of their marital status, prestige and technological level of their jobs. 320 university students and civil servants participated in the study. Each subject rated a briefly described working woman as a stimulus person on a 24 seven-point bipolar scales that describe job competence, personal and interpersonal adjustment characteristics. The manipulation was such that each subject evaluated one of 8 working mothers of a young child that was portrayed either as married or single and in a job that is of either high or low prestige and requires high or low level of technology. Results showed that mothers in high prestigious and high-tech jobs were more favourably perceived, especially if they were married. Mothers in high prestigious and high-tech jobs were seen as better adjusted and more competent than those in low prestigious and low-tech jobs. The perception was however less favourable for single mothers. (IFE Psychologia (2002) 10(2), 70-78)