PARENTAL ROLE PARTICIPATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDRENS SCHOOL ADJUSTMENT

This research examined the effects of parental participation in work a nd family roles on perceptions of responsibility for their children's school adjustment. We hypothesized that mothers would be perceived as being more responsible than fathers, and that participation in nontrad itional work and family roks would influence perceived responsibility. Contrary to the first hypothesis, college student subjects perceived fathers as being more responsible than mothers for good adjustment, bu t not for poor adjustment. Consistent with hypotheses, role participat ion influenced perceptions of responsibility, but only for mothers. Di vorced mothers were credited less and blamed more for school adjustmen t than married mothers, especially when they worked outside the home. Implications of the findings for future research on role participation are discussed.