Measuring Role Stress Among Working Women: Development, Reliability, and Validity of a Context-Specific Scale

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive Role Stress Scale specifically designed for working women who simultaneously fulfill the roles of employee, mother, and wife. Drawing on existing literature and theoretical frameworks, the scale was constructed to measure multiple dimensions of role stress including role overload, conflict, ambiguity, inadequacy, stagnation, erosion, and isolation. An initial pool of 60 items was administered to a sample of 300 married working women aged 20 to 55 years. After item analysis, 45 items with the highest discriminative power were retained across three domains. The scale demonstrated high test-retest reliability (0.83) and strong validity (0.79) with an external criterion. Findings highlight the distinct role stress patterns experienced by working women and underscore the impact of societal expectations and occupational demands. The Role Stress Scale serves as a valuable tool for researchers, counselors, and organizations to assess stress and develop targeted interventions for women’s mental well-being.