The Good‐Mother Stereotype: Stay at Home (or Wish That You Did!)

Abstract

This study extends prior research on the good‐mother stereotype by examining the influence of mothers’ role satisfaction on perceptions. Students read a brief description of a mother and rated her commitment to motherhood and communality. As predicted, the mother who remained home with her child and who was satisfied with staying home was rated higher than was the dissatisfied stay‐at‐home mother. However, the continuously employed mother who was satisfied with working outside of the home was perceived as less committed to motherhood and less selfless than was the dissatisfied, employed mother. The results are discussed in the context of Russo's (1976) analysis of the motherhood mandate and Eagly and Steffcn's (1984) theory of gender stereotypes. Implications for career‐oriented mothers are examined.