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Holding the Belief That Gender Roles Can Change Reduces Women's Work-Family Conflict
Charlotte H Townsend1, Laura J Kray1, Alexandra G Russell2
1University of California, Berkeley, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|June 19, 2023
Summary
Believing gender roles can change reduces women's work-family conflict. This growth mindset helps women overcome traditional expectations, improving job and relationship satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Gender roles significantly influence work-family dynamics.
- Beliefs about the malleability of gender roles (gender role mindsets) may impact work-family conflict.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between gender role mindsets and work-family conflict.
- To determine if a growth mindset regarding gender roles can causally reduce work-family conflict for women.
- To examine the indirect effects of gender role mindsets on job and relationship satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Four studies were conducted with a total of 1544 participants.
- Studies involved measuring gender role mindsets and work-family conflict, manipulating gender role mindsets, and examining mediating mechanisms.
- Data were collected from undergraduate business students and working women in dual-career couples, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Results:
- Women with a fixed gender role mindset anticipated more work-family conflict than those with a growth mindset.
- A growth gender role mindset causally reduced work-family conflict for women.
- Growth mindsets reduced work-family conflict by unburdening women from prescriptive gender roles, indirectly improving job and relationship satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Beliefs in the malleability of gender roles are associated with lower work-family conflict in women.
- Promoting a growth mindset regarding gender roles may be a viable strategy to mitigate work-family conflict and enhance well-being for women.
- Findings highlight the importance of challenging rigid gender role beliefs in professional settings.
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