Kelly, Heather Joan2018-11-282018-11-281991https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26138Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, for the degree of Master of Arts.This study evaluates the utility of a stress-coping paradigm for explaining differences in psychological adjustment to stress among duel-employed family members. Specifically, a model of stress was applied that encompassed a single stressful dual-employed family event, the degree of perceived stressfulness of this event, dual-employed family coping and five dimensions of personal adjustment (two work indicators, two family attitudes and one individual measure). This model was used to assess the mechanisms through which dual-employed family stress and coping are linked to psychological outcomes through two effects. first being the main effect which states that stress and coping have a uniform effect on well-being, independent of one another. The second being the moderator effect which says that coping moderates the impact of stressful episodes depending on the type, or degree, of stress encountered. Two procedures were applied for analysing data. Firstly, content analysis was applied to the single stressful life events measure and from this the existence of seven forms of dual-employed family stress were established, namely, occupational, domestic chore, child-care, role overload, marital, financial, and stressors arising from external systems encompassed under the label "other". Secondly, moderated multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between each dependent, independent and moderator variable and provided statistical support for the operation of both main and moderator effects. This support, however, was found to vary according to context and level of stressfulness of the events. The limitations of the present study are noted as well as the practical and theoretical implications. Furthermore , the implications for future research on stress, coping and adjustment among dual-employed families are considered.enDual-career families -- South Africa.Work and family -- South Africa.Working mothers -- South Africa.Stress (Psychology) -- South Africa.Adjustment (Psychology)Thesis