MULTITASKING, GENDER ROLE ATTITUDES, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, AND MARITAL ADJUSTMENT OF MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN

Abstract

The current research was planned to explore and understand the evolving construct of multitasking in an integrative psychological background. More explicitly, this research had assumed to examined the relationship and psychological correlates of multitasking. For this survey research design based upon cross sectional data was employed into two studies. Study I further comprised into two phases and phase I was carried out to translate and adapt the two measures of multitasking. Multitasking Preference Inventory (MPI, Poposki & Oswald, 2010) and Communication Specific Multitasking Measurement Instrument (CSMMI, Kushniryk, 2008) in to Urdu. While phase II consisted with empirical validation of these two aforementioned multitasking scales. To establish the validity, primarily it was imperative to explore the factor structures of these two translated scales of multitasking on the data collected from socio-organizational context of Pakistan. A sample of (N= 230; Mean age = 35.53, SD = 8.40) married working men (n = 126) married working women (n = 61) and housewives (n = 43) was selected and all the participants were approached individually at their work places and residences, respectively. Purposive convenient sampling technique was employed to collect the data for study I. Along with the two translated multitasking scales data was collected on the Self-Repost Measure of Emotional Intelligence (SRMEI, Khan & Kamal, 2010), Gender Role Attitudes Scale (GRAS Kamal & Saqib, 2004) and martial adjustment scale (DAS, Naseer, 2000) to see the pattern of relationship of all the variables of this study. Results of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed new factor structures for the two translated and adapted scales of multitasking on the data collected for pilot study. Further analysis showed that the translated and adapted scales and other measures are reliable to proceed further in this research. The results of correlation coefficients showed significant positive association of multitasking preference scale, perceived multitasking ability scale, and the subscales of these two scales. Trend analysis on the data of this study also showed the results into expected and desired directions i.e., significant and positive association of all the study variables with each other, which suggested to proceed in to the study II of this research. Study II was designed to establish the factorial validity and to test the direct, indirect, and group differences hypotheses. These objectives were achieved into two xiii passes. Phase I consisted with the determination of factorial validity of the two translated and adapted scales in the study I. For this purpose, a sample (N = 850) age ranged between 23-65 years and (M = 36.48; SD = 8.83) was selected through purposive convenient sampling. The criteria for study II was similar to the study I of this research i.e., married working men (n = 328), married working women (n = 300), and housewives (n = 222). All the instruments and demographic information sheet used to collect the data for study II were similar to study 1. The results of phase I confirmed the new factor structures (explored through EFA in Study I) of both the instruments i.e., MPI as two factors instead the original uni-factor and CSMMI as three factors instead of original four factors. These newly explored factor structures (through EFA) were conformed (through CFA) and considered as the subscales of these two translated and adapted instruments. Percentile, T and Z scores for MPI along with its two subscales were also determined to develop Norms for Pakistani sample. Results of alpha coefficients provided the satisfactory evidences of reliability for all the scales and subscales. Estimates of inter scale correlations provided the evidences of convergent validity for the measure of multitasking preference with perceived multitasking ability measure. A contrasted group validity through group differences (analysis of variances ANOVA) also confirmed the validity evidences regarding the two translated and adopted instruments from the socio-cultural context of Pakistani. The phase II of the study II comprised with hypothesis testing, in which first direct effect, then conditional indirect effect, and then in the end group difference hypotheses were tested. Results of inter scale correlations and multiple hierarchal regression model tested for direct effect hypotheses supported the first seven hypotheses established in the phase II of this study. Moreover, results of moderated mediation model tested through process macro model number 89 provided the support for the conditional indirect effects hypotheses of this study. Further the results of moderated mediation model across different sample groups also provided the evidences to fulfill the objectives of this study pertaining to gender and work status of participants. These results have showed that interactions for moderations were significant for the indirect effects (serial mediation) model tested on the overall sample and models tested across the three groups of samples i.e., married working women and housewives xiv collectively, for the married working women and for housewives, separately. Further, these model results supported the indirect effects of multitasking preferences and perceived multitasking ability on the relationship between emotional intelligence and marital adjustment of married individual. In relation to this conditional (moderated) effect of egalitarian gender role attitudes also found as positive and significant in the same model. These findings confirmed the newly proposed moderated mediation model in the socio-organizational context of Pakistan. Hypotheses testing in relation to demographic variables provided the supporting evidences for work status, age, education, job experience, duration of marriage, and number of children on the study variable. Further in relation to gender, family system, organizational structure, and ethnicity non-significant differences were observed in the study variables. Additionally, demographic variables i.e., paid domestic help, house chores, age of the youngest born child, profession, and transportation indicated significant group differences in relation to the study variables across groups. Overall findings of this study would advance and facilitate the knowledge of the construct of multitasking in relation to emotional intelligence, gender role attitudes, and marital adjustment from the integrative psychological context. Further it would also enhance the understanding of multitasking in terms of its role and association with these variables more precisely. The results of this study are important to interpret in relation to gender and role theory also. Limitations of this study, theoretical, conceptual, and practical implications for policy, and future recommendations are also discussed