Work and Leisure

152 Schneider, Ainbinder, CsikszentmihalyiTurning to the work variables, one of the most unexpected findings wasthat the high and low stress groups were not differentiated by whether theyheld a full- or part-time job. It is often assumed that part-time work is associatedwith lower stress, especially for mothers. This did not appear to be thecase for our sample. The only work-related measures that showed differencesbetween the two groups were income, hours worked, and length of time atcurrent job.Stress and work characteristicsAs shown in Table 8.2, overall stress increases with income. However, there isnot a significant difference among income groups – that is, those with higherTable 8.2 Demographic characteristics of mothers and fathers currently employed aStress level bAverage stress(N = 394)High stress(N = 171)Low stress(N = 223)t cTotal family income