A reliability and validity study of the Women's Role Strain Inventory

The purpose of this study was to theoretically conceptualize, develop and test the Women's Role Strain Inventory (WRSI) which assesses role strain in women who have multiple roles. There is limited research published related to role strain of women, although role strain, role conflict and role stress have been documented to have negative and positive effects (Hall 1975, Hall 1992). The theoretical basis for this study is based upon Goode's Theory of Role Strain (1960) and Sieber's Theory of Role Accumulation (1974). The pilot consisted of 62 female nurses, and the sample used for construct validity consisted of 445 female nurses. Content validity resulted in a content validity index of (.91). Exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation resulted in a three-factor solution supporting Goode's (1960) theory of role strain, and Sieber's (1974) theory of role accumulation. Alpha coefficients for the three subscales were .89 (role distress), .86 (role enhancement), and .81 (role support). Internal consistency of .93 was achieved for the overall WRSI. Test-retest coefficients ranged from .61 to .91. The high reliability and validity of the WRSI make it a reliable and valid instrument to measure role strain of women.