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Report Navjot Kaur
Report Navjot Kaur
Report Navjot Kaur
BY
NAVJOT KAUR
170590102
WORKING WOMEN” The present work could be completed only because of the able
supplying the requisite information towards the completion of the questionnaire there by
NAVJOT KAUR
170590102
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CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY
This is to certify that the Project Report titled “STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONGST
Open University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Master of Arts
The matter embodied in this Project is a genuine work done by the student and has not
been submitted whether to this University or to any other University/ Institute for the
Date: Date:
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Miss. NAVJOT KAUR student of M.A. (Psychology) from Indira
Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi was working under my supervision and
guidance for her Dissertation for the course MPCE. Her Dissertation entitled “STRESS
Signature:
Name:
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CHAPTER NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
I INTRODUCTION
II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
IV DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
V CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX — QUESTIONNAIRES
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
Stress is derived from Latin word “Stringer” (to draw tight) and was popularly used in
seventeenth century to mean ‘hardship’ straits, adversity. In physical science the term
stress refers to the internal force generated within a solid body by the action of any
external force.
of healing power of nature, made up of inherent body mechanism for restoring health
enormously advanced the subject of pointing out that the internal environment of a living
The term stress has been derived from technical sciences where it indicates an excessive
and detrimental overloading of subjects. Metals like steel have a certain strain capacity,
The term was used in this sense in the nineteenth century. In the beginning of the
twentieth century, the concept appeared in the medical science to indicate overloading of
the human body. Cannon (1935) related it to homeostatic tendencies in the body. It
lot of knowledge was accumulated about the relation between stress and the development
sympathetic nervous system and endocrine system are activated in a certain way, for
stress. Extreme stimulations of a divergent nature bring about a certain typical endocrine
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reaction pattern. Specific stimulation are not connected with specific reactions; stress can
be induced by many different means. Actually Selye was not particularly interested in the
causes (stimuli); more important to him was the universal reaction pattern occurring in
characteristic phases.
reaction to frustration. Since anxiety is highly distressing, indeed one of the most
intolerable psychic states with which the human organism has to deal, it demands some
sort of adjustment which will afford relief. A large part of human adjustment is concerned
Growing out of many frustrating situations, anxiety serves as the driving force for a large
noted that anxiety can interface with attention, learning and testing. The idea that anxiety
may interface with a student's ability to demonstrate what they have learned is not new.
Anxiety can also interface with learning in that anxious students are more easily
Anxiety may be defined as mental distress with respect to some anticipated frustration. It
which is reacted to with aggression, or the danger whish is reacted to with fear. Whatever
the frustration is, it is recognized as dangerous because it will result in either pain or loss.
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learning is that the individual shall acquire the capacity for recognizing by certain signs
or cause, situations which promise to satisfy his need or cause him harm so that he can
anticipate them on some future occasion and thereby make ready to accept and use those
The Role of women in the society is constantly questioned and for centuries women have
struggled to find their place in a world that is predominantly male oriented. Literature
provides a porthole into the lives, thoughts and actions of women during certain periods
of time in a fictitious form, yet often truthful in many ways. Woman has a great part to
play in the progress of our country, as the mental and physical contact of women with life
is much more lasting and comprehensive than that of men (Bernard,J., 1971). In the apron
string of women is hidden the revolutionary energy, which can establish paradise on this
earth. Woman is the magnificent creation of god, a multi faceted personality with the
1998). She is companion of man, gifted with equal mental faculty, a protector and
provider, the embodiment of love and affection. The role specified to women in a society
is a measuring bar and it is a true index of its civilization and cultural attainment. First of
all it is clear that a woman’s place, just like a man’s is in the home. Women have started
to reach the highest places and to occupy the scariest and most exciting positions of
power within society. At the same time, they have continued to stay home and have
children. It is really a matter of individual choice. Women’s place should not be in the
home because they have much more to offer society. Women got the reputation of being
housebound creatures through no fault of their own: they were repressed on every level.
They were forced to wear certain dress codes, their education was severely curtailed and
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they were simply traded off in strategic marriages of convenience. Woman now believes a
successful career is the key to financial and social life. Obviously the lives women live
today are much different than they were before. Today, there are several roles women
A woman who earns salary, wages, or other income through employment, outside the
the literacy rate among women is increasing; this has resulted in more women taking up
employment. In India, with women increasingly taking on jobs, the concept of the man
being 'head of the family' is now changing. Working within and outside the home are the
two phases of a woman's life. Balancing work and family life has become a major issue
for women. Dealing with family issues as well as work issues has resulted in women
dealing with an increasing amount of stress and anxiety. This research study attempts to
understand the stress and anxiety among women as a result of dealing with this dual role.
INTRODUCTION ON STRESS
work – life and incongruence between these expectations and the perceived
etc. These factors influence employment security, social relations at work and upward
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mobility, which, in turn, will result in stress of the employees.
A number of researches have been conducted about stress over the last hundred
years. Some of the theories behind it are now settled and accepted; others are still being
researched and debated. During this time, it seems that open warfare between
competing theories and definitions does exist. Views have been passionately held and
aggressively defended.
Stress occurs when there is an imbalance between demands made on a person and the
resources available to respond to the demand. The demand may be real (i.e. things outside
the person's control, such as departure time of a plane and traffic) or perceived (how the
person views the situation, i.e. within his/her control or sphere of influence). Similarly,
the resources may be real (fact) or perceived (what one thinks, feels, imagines, etc).
CONCEPT OF STRESS
Definitions
Hans Selye was one of the founding fathers of stress research. His view in 1956 was
that ―stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The
humiliation or infection is detri mental. Selye believed that the biochemical effects of
negative.
Since then a great deal of further research has been conducted, ideas have moved
biochemical and long-term effects. These effects have rarely been observed in
positive situations.
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The most commonly accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S
that ―demands exceed the personal and social resources, the individual is able to
mobilize. In short, it's what we feel when we think of losing control over the events.
events. The stress response inside us is part instinct and part to do with the way we think.
It is generally thought that stress will always have bad effects. It is not always true.
Stress may result in better effects also. The twin effects of stress are: the stress which
results in good effects is called eustress and that which results in bad effects is called
distress.
Eustress
Good stress (i.e.) Eustress can have a positive impact on a person. This form of stress is
achieved, when the brain and body feel challenged and want to extend themselves in
order to respond to the situation. This is caused when a person feels as though (he or she):
possibilities!")
Distress
When we talk of bad stress (Distress), we're talking about something that directly
causes the brain and body to shrink in its working capacity, resulting in low- performance
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levels. It is caused when a person feels anxious, threatened (may be embarrassed,
1. is being forced to face a challenge that he does not want to ("I do not want to do
it");
These perceptions can be real (the person actually has no control or power over
changing the situation) or imagined (the person could have influence over the
situation) but the effects are the same: the person feels threatened and in danger. This
The severity of stress is the amount or level of stress that is felt as a result of a stressor.
There are certain factors which influence the degree of stress experienced; these have an
impact on the person's wellbeing both physically and mentally. The characteristics of
Significance
How much changes will an event exert depends upon how much the event is important
and critical to the individual. For example, the death of his/her beloved one, failing in
an examination, breakup with boy/girl friend, etc., may have adverse effect on the
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higher position, etc, may have positive effect on the individual. The greater the
significance and change is, the higher the impact of the stressor is.
Time length
If a stressor continues over a long period of time, it will result in higher stress levels. For
example, insufficient sleep over an extended period of time will result in higher stress.
Cumulative Effect
This is when stressors are built up over a period of time and left unnoticed. It results in
cumulative effect. For example, a long series of little irritations and annoyances
Multiplicity
A number of stressors at one time will result in higher stress levels than their sum. For
example, a fight with one's parents, final exams around the corner and loss of a loved
one, etc., all this happening at a time will be more stressful than each of these events that
happened separately.
Approaching deadline
If a demand has been made a few weeks or months in advance of the deadline, the degree
of stress will increase as the due date approaches. For example, if a person is given a
project assignment two months in advance, it will probably seem too far away to get
worked up about. As the deadline approaches, his stress level will increase until he
Anxiety
indications like rapid tremor in the limbs, sweating of hands, flushing of the face and
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neck, heart palpitations, blood pressure, inability to sit still, pacing the room, chain
smoking, tenseness, restlessness etc. are clearly visible. It has been studied as a
phenomenon does not act as an energizer or drive to outperform activities and achieve
our goals. A moderate amount of anxiety may prove beneficial and thereby improve
one‟s performance but as a pathological phenomenon, it impairs the capacity to think and
Hull (1943) and Spence (1956) suggested that anxious persons are emotionally
responsive and hence a well-learned response is not likely to be made- given the
responsiveness would only add the confusion and difficulty of such tasks.
Spielberger (1966) viewed that anxiety is a palpable but transitory emotional state
studied as a personality trait (trait anxiety) and also as a transitory emotional state (state
anxiety) and due to lack of distinction between the two, conceptual confusion with
uncontrollable or unavoidable, but not realistically so. Barlow (2001) defined anxiety as
"a future-oriented mood state in which one is ready or prepared to attempt to cope with
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upcoming negative events," and that it is a distinction between future and present dangers
which divides anxiety and fear. In positive psychology, anxiety is described as the mental
state that results from a difficult challenge for which the subject has insufficient coping
skills.
In the fast pace modern era of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and commercialisation
where daily routine is being scheduled with excess workload, and is too hectic to be
carried on, anxiety and other problems like stress are increasing. These have become
Anxiety is one of the most common psychological disorders in school aged children and
2003). The prevalence rate ranges from 4.0% to 25% with an average rate of 8.0%
contexts and manifestations are influenced by cultural beliefs and practices (Kleinman,
1985; Guarnaccia, 1997). Despite the clinical focus on depression, youth anxiety
disorders also are important because they are precursors to later development of
Anxiety is the displeasing feeling of fear and concern (Davison, 2008). Anxiety may be
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comparatively large amount of adrenalin into the bloodstream. Anxiety often leads to a
deal with a demanding situation by prompting them to cope with it. However, when
anxiety becomes overwhelming, it may fall under the classification of anxiety disorder.
should not cross its threshold value; otherwise it will reach its abnormal level (National
Anxiety can be experienced with long, drawn out daily symptoms that reduce quality of
life, known as chronic (or generalized) anxiety, or it can be experienced in short spurts
with sporadic, stressful panic attacks, known as acute anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety can
range in number, intensity, and frequency, depending on the person. While almost
everyone has experienced anxiety at some point in their lives, most do not develop long-
considered to be a unique contribution of the 21st century to the mankind. The twenty
first century is also known as "the age of anxiety". Fear or anxiety has evolved over
situation and both terms have been used synonymously. However, there is a distinction
between fear and anxiety. The former is episodic whereas the latter is chronic (Jitender &
Mona, 2015).
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Types, Risk factors, Causes and Effects of Anxiety
Anxiety is of mainly two types- State and Trait anxiety. State Anxiety
According to Spielberger et al. (1970), state anxiety reflects a "transitory emotional state
feel appropriately and temporarily anxious and this anxiety then retreats until we feel
'threat' has subsided, the anxiety state retreats and the person feels 'normal' again. This is
in sprint or swim starts or missing relatively easy shots at goal i.e. pressure situations
Trait Anxiety
Trait anxiety refers to a general level of stress that is characteristic of an individual, that
is, a trait related to personality. Trait anxiety varies according to how individuals have
conditioned themselves to respond to and manage the stress. What may cause anxiety and
stress in one person may not generate any emotion in another. People with high levels of
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trait anxiety are often quite easily stressed and anxious. According to Spielberger et al.
proneness and refers to a general tendency to respond with anxiety to perceived threats in
react less appropriately to anxiety provoking stimuli (NSW HSC Online, 2015).
Very little is known about antecedent risk factors for anxiety disorders in girls and
women. Seminal findings from a female twin registry suggest that genetic factors are an
important hazard for anxiety disorders in women. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is
of interest because of findings that it shares a common genetic pathway with major
increased risk, especially for GAD (Hettema, Neale & Kendler, 2001). An emerging
literature offers compelling evidence that early life adversity, such as childhood sexual or
physical abuse, predisposes to the development of anxiety disorders later in life (Safren et
al., 2002). Women who were sexually abused as children appear to be at increased risk of
adult-onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Nisith, Mechanic & Resick, 2000).
Childhood physical and sexual abuse in patients with anxiety disorders and in a
community sample. Similarly, when assessed as adults, adolescent girls who had
formerly been exposed to stress exhibit a greater risk for symptoms of GAD than
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Other Risk factors of anxiety that may increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder
(Mayo Clinic):
a. Being females: Females are more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as
compared with their male counterparts because they are exposed to more anxiety
provoking situations both in personal and professional life such as handling family
members and maintaining day- to- day schedules, being at office on time and working till
evening is really tiring job, and still she has to prepare meal at night and do the rest of the
b. Trauma: Children who endured abuse or trauma or witnessed traumatic events are at
higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in life. Adults who experience
c. Stress due to an illness: Having a health condition or serious illness can cause
d. Stress build up: A big event or a build-up of smaller stressful life situations may trigger
excessive anxiety - for example, a death in the family or ongoing worry about finances.
e. Personality: People with certain personality types for an example; neurotics and
f. Having blood relatives with an anxiety disorder: Anxiety disorders can run in families.
g. Drugs or alcohol: Drug or alcohol use or abuse or withdrawal can cause or worsen
anxiety.
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h. Other mental health disorders: People with other mental health disorders, such as
Causes of Anxiety
Anxiety arises from faulty adaptations to the daily stress and strains of our life. Some of
humans is hard wired to respond to dangers or threats. These responses are not subject to
conscious control and are the same in humans as in lower animals. They represent
an evolutionary adaptation to animal predators and other dangers that all animals
including primitive humans had to cope with. The most familiar reaction of this type is
the fight or flight reaction to a life threatening situation when people have fight or flight
reactions, the level of stress hormones in their blood rises. They become more alert and
dilate, their heartbeats increases, their breathing rates increases, and their digestion slows
down, making more energy available to the muscles. This emergency reaction is
regulated by a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system or ANS.
The ANS is controlled by the hypothalamus, a specialized part of the brainstem that is
among a group of structures called the limbic system. The limbic system controls human
emotions through its connections to glands and muscles. It also connects to the ANS and
higher brain centres, such as parts of the cerebral cortex. One problem with this
arrangement is that the limbic system cannot tell the difference between a real physical
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threat and an anxiety-producing thought or idea. The hypothalamus may trigger the
release of stress-hormones from the pituitary gland even when there is no external danger
(Spielberger, 1972).
effects of too many false alarms in the ANS. When a person responds to a real danger,
his/her body relieves itself of the stress hormones by facing up to the danger or fleeing
from it. In modern life, however, people often have fight or flight reactions in situations
where they cannot run away and lash out physically (Schwarzar, 1997). As a result, their
bodies have to absorb all the biochemical charges of hyper arousal rather than release
them. These biochemical changes can produce anxious feelings as well as muscle tension
c. Social and environmental stressors: Since humans are social creatures, anxiety often
has a social dimension to act over it. People frequently report feelings of high anxiety
when they anticipate fear of the loss of social approval or love. Social phobia is a specific
social situations (Sheikh & Bhusan, 2002). Another social stressor is prejudice for people
who belong to groups that are targets of bias have a higher risk of developing anxiety
disorders. Some experts think, e.g. that the higher rates of phobias and panic disorder
their greater social and economic vulnerability. Several controversial studies indicate that
the increase in violent or upsetting pictures and stories in news reports and entertainment
may raise people's anxiety levels. Environmental or occupational factors can also cause
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anxiety people who must live or work around sudden or loud noises, bright or
flashing lights, chemical vapours, or similar nuisances that they cannot avoid or control
d. Personality: Many hypotheses show that life experiences alone does not
determine whether a person will or will not develop anxiety (Taylor, 1953). The
researchers believe personality may play a major role in how well a person deals with
whatever life throws their way. This is based on the idea that people who have low self-
esteem and poor coping skills seems to be more prone to developing anxiety than do
people with higher self-esteem and good coping skills. People who have low self-esteem
or poor coping skills tend to look at the situation as more of a challenge, which results in
greater amount of self-inflicted stress. These stressors if left unchecked results in the
development of anxiety. Still, other scientists believe and look to faulty brain chemistry
as the underlying cause of anxiety. This is probably the most widely accepted theory of
why people develop anxiety, but it is also one of the theories which are highly debated.
This theory has become widely accepted since the symptoms of anxiety can be treated
with medications. People suffering from anxiety and depression are thought to have
altered levels of neurotransmitters. The two chief chemicals involved are Nor-adrenaline
and Serotonin when given medications; the levels of neurotransmitters are regulated,
therefore, relieving the symptoms of anxiety. The debate over the brain chemistry theory
centres on the issue of whether the person would have improved even without the
medications. Each of these theories, heredity, life experiences, brain chemistry and
2. Drugs/Medication
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Numerous medications may cause anxiety like symptoms as a side effect. They include:
c. Corticosteroids
d. Anti-hypertensive drugs
f. Local anaesthetics
g. Caffeine can also cause anxiety-like symptoms when consumed in excess amount.
Withdrawal from drugs of abuse, including LSD > Cocaine > Alcohol > Opiates
3. Psychological Conditions
learn during the first year of life that they are not self-sufficient and that their basic
underlies the most common anxieties of adult life, including fear of powerlessness and
fear of not being loved. Thus, adults can be made anxious by symbolic threats to their
sense of competence or significant relationships, even though they are no longer helpless
children.
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The causes of anxiety are wide-ranging and sometimes it seems to just come out of the
blue, in these cases talking to a therapist who is more familiar with some of the common
triggers of anxiety in men can help you find the root cause. Some of the common causes
of anxiety are:
Drug use (NB men more than women use drugs or alcohol to try and manage their
anxiety, but these can actually contribute to anxiety in the long run).
Effects of Anxiety
The behavioural effects of anxiety may include withdrawal from situations which
have provoked anxiety in the past. Anxiety can also be experienced in ways which
include changes in sleeping patterns, nervous habits, and increased motor tension like
The emotional effects of anxiety may include "feelings of apprehension or dread, trouble
restlessness, watching (and waiting) for signs (and occurrences) of danger, and, feeling
like your mind's gone blank as well as "nightmares/bad dreams, obsessions about
sensations, “deja vu”, a trapped in your mind feeling, and feeling like everything is
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The cognitive effects of anxiety may include thoughts about suspected dangers, such as
fear of dying. "You may fear that the chest pains are a deadly heart attack or that the
shooting pains in your head are the result of a tumour or aneurysm. You feel an intense
fear when you think of dying, or you may think of it more often than normal, or can't get
But the thoughts and memories stimulated by a particular event, along with an
individual„s coping skills and previous experience with similar circumstances, may often
have an even greater impact. Consequently, the same stimulus may be seen as a threat by
one person, a challenge by another and as largely irrelevant by a third. The experience of
threat is essentially a state of mind which has two main characteristics: it is future
oriented, generally involving the anticipation of a potentially harmful event that has not
yet happened; it is mediated by complex mental processes, that is, perception, thought,
memory, and judgment which are involved in the appraisal process. Threat appraisals of
that mobilize an individual to take action to avoid harm. But even when there is no
1989).
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Women play a pivotal role in the decision making process of organizations and within the
family. Indian culture bestows on women the role of caretaker of the family. Women are
increasingly moving out of their homes and into the work environment. A greater number
of women are also entering the workforce of restricted industries. Thus women play the
dual role of Non-working women and working women. A comparative study on the stress
level and anxiety of women in this dual role of non-workingand working woman
becomes significant. The study explores the stresses and anxiety faced by women in
society.
An overview of` the survey of Literature reveals that so for no serious effort has been
undertaken to study on stress and anxiety among working and non-working women.
Therefore, the investigator feels it important to conduct a research on stress and anxiety
Stress: Every human being has his own understanding of stress, because all demands of
adaptability do evoke the stress phenomenon. Richard S. Lazarus has defined stress as -
“A condition or feeling or experienced when a person perceives that demand exceeds the
uncertainty and fear. General anxiety as state and trait anxiety is measured. State
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Working Women: A woman who earns salary, wages, or other income through
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF
RELATED
LITERATURE
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INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
- J. Mouly (1979)
process. It involves the systematic identification, location and anal ysis of documents
reviewing the literature is to determine the study already been done that relates to one‟s
problem. Another important function of review is how it helps in planning the present
work or the resources, and specific procedures and meaning instruments that have been
opted for this work. Being familiar with previous research also facilitates interpretation
of the results of the study. Finally, these reviews give information which can either
support or challenge the conclusions of the investigator‟s research and therefore provide
Study of the related literature implies locating, reading and educating reports of
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NEED FOR THE REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A thorough survey of literature can be of great help to the investigator to understand the
problem from different dimensions. It enriches the study. It gives necessary insight to the
1. The review of related literature enables the researcher to define the limits of his field.
It helps the researcher to delimit and define his problem. The knowledge of related
literature, brings the researcher up-to-date on the work which others have done and thus
2. By reviewing the related literature the researcher can avoid unfruitful and useless
problem areas. He can select those areas in which positive findings are very, likely to
result and his endeavors would be likely to add to the knowledge in a meaningful way.
when the stability and validity of its results have been clearly established.
4. The final and important specific reason for reviewing the related literature is to know
about the recommendations of previous researchers listed in their studies for further
research.
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Within the minimum time, an earnest effort was made to collect the related relevant
information pertaining to the area under study. Some of the studies are reported here.
Anand S.P. (1989) conducted a study on mental health of high school students. The main
objective of the study was to find out the mentally health and unhealthy students and to
find out the relation between parental educational and occupational status. It was found
that mental health of children was dependent upon education and occupational status of
parents. Sound mental health was positively related to academic achievement and
both of them were positively related to parental status. The degree of mental health was
also related to the type of school, being the highest in convenient schools, followed by
and girls. The samples selected for the study were 290 students. The main objective of
the study was to study the independent and interactive effects of acclimation and sex on
mental health score of Oriya children. He found that, Oriya groups possess better social
adjustment than other groups; and there does not any difference between all other group
Rao (1979) conducted a study on mental problems of children in the age range of 13-16
years of old boys and girls sample selected for this study was 428. He found that 18.80%
Albert and Howard (1977), examined child rearing practices, socio economic antecedents
on the group embedded figure test performance in the age range of 14-15 years old high
school children of racially mixed and Negro populations. It was found that differences
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between ethnic group and child rearing practices and SES factors determined cognitive
styles.
Hardeo, Ohja and Rajiv R.Singh (1988) Conducted a study on ―child rearing
personality traits of security – insecurity and dependence process 156 adolescents (107
boys, 49 girls) were administered Ohja parent Behavior inventory. Moshin Hindi
adaptation of Maslow security insecurity test and Sinha dependence process scale. The
results indicated that fathers and mothers are restrictive, rejective; neglecting attitude
gives rise to insecurity while their permissive attitude reduces insecurity. Projective child
rearing of both parents fosters dependences proneness while their neglecting attitudes
Hema Varma (1997) conducted a study on parent‘s personality; their child rearing
attitudes and they‘re off spring‘s personality. The purpose of the study was to inter
correlate the parent‘s personality and child rearing attitudes and their children‘s
personality to meet this purpose two samples were selected 100 parents and 100 students
(50 boys and 50 girls) Parents (100 mothers and 100 fathers of the same family). To
were included. It was assumed that parents child rearing attitudes will be significantly
related to their off springs, personality and to their own personality and parent‘s
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personality will be significantly related to boys and girls personality. It was found that
parents‘ personality is very strongly associated with the children‘s‘ personality. There
was significant relation between parent‘s child rearing and children‘s personality.
Prasanna K.C.B (1989) conducted a study on certain mental health variables associated
1) It studied that all the mental health variables studied discriminated between high and
2) High achievers had higher mean scores than low achievers for all the 16 mental health
and institution reared boys and girls as indicated by Rorschach ink blots.
1) He found that family – reared boys and girls were superior on the trait of emotional
construction.
5) Family reared boys and girls exhibited traits regarding relish for sexual
experience.
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6) Institution – reared boys felt difficulty in establishing close personal
relationship.
7) Family-reared boys and girls were more interested in practical concern than in
theorizing.
8) Family reared boys and institution reared girls had a high level of general anxiety.
11) Family reared boys and girls had high inhibition of aggression.
12) Family reared boys and institution reared girls were superior in emotional
construction.
13) Family reared boys and institution reared girls had abundance of creative impulses.
14) Family – reared girls and institution – reared boy‘s possessed marked inhibition
of sexuality.
The concept of stress was introduced in life science by Selye Hans in 1936. Stress was
defined as any external event or internal drive which threatens to upset the organic
equilibrium (Selye Hans, 1956). Stress was defined as causing a threat to the quality of
work life as well as physical and psychological well being (Cox, 1978). Stress is
(Hogan, 1991). Job stress is “a condition arising from the interaction of people and their
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jobs and is characterized by changes within people that force them to deviate from their
Job-related stress factors are adverse working conditions such as excessive noise, extreme
under load (Arcold et al, 1986). Explored stress management techniques used by working
women are sleep and relaxation, exercise, time management, diet and yoga (Upamany
1997). The research study has reported that supportive work and family policy, effective
management, communication, health insurance coverage for mental illness and chemical
dependence, and fixed scheduling of work hours were effective in reducing job burnout
(Lawless, 1991). Work and family are two important parts of a person's life and both are
closely related (Ford et al., 2007). Since an increasing number of women are entering the
work force and pursuing careers (Sevim, 2006), they have to balance the competing
demands of both workplace and family life (Bickasiz, 2009). Working women are
working for longer hours and taking more work at home (Dawn et al, 1999). This
Schmitt et al (1980) in their study on the causes ofphysical symptoms of stress among
physical symptoms.
Khanna (1992) studied life stress among working and non-working women in relation to
anxiety and depression. Anxiety was found to be significantly and negatively related to
significantly and positively related to positive life change in working women, and
negative life change in non-working women. These results suggest that in India, among
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working women positive life changes are related to depression, whereas among non-
working women positive life changes are related to anxiety, and negative life changes to
depression. Most common outcomes of stress for the working woman were poor mental
and physical health resulting in depression, anxiety, asthma, and colitis (Khanna, 1992;
Beck et al. (1961) conducted a study on the mental health and anxiety among working
and non-working mothers and found that working mothers had better mental health and
reported less anxiety than the non-working mothers. The most frequently reported source
of stress for working mothers was not having enough time to do everything, whereas for
Another research suggests that mothers who are in situations where there is conflict in the
roles they play (work outside the home and the traditional role of housewife)
would experience certain anxiety, that they would feel less satisfaction in their role of
wife-mother, and that they would not feel capable of fulfilling themselves in either of
these roles. It had also been predicted that women who attached relatively little
their full-time role outside the home than do those women who devote themselves
entirely to the traditional feminine role. However, there was little or no difference
Nye (1963) in one of the interesting study on working mothers concluded that working
mothers are somewhat more positive in their attitude towards children and has described
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In a comparative study of working and non-working mothers on measures of mental
health, self-esteem, and mother role satisfaction have positive effects (Field, 1964).
Kapur (1970) studied role conflict among women and found that working women felt
Hoffman (1974) has concluded that the working woman who obtains satisfaction from
her work, who has adequate arrangements so that her dual role does not involve undue
strain and who does not feel so guilty that she over-compensates is likely to do quite well
Another study on working women indicated that women who choose to combine
marriage with career face a critical situation and they hardly know how to apportion time
and resources between these two major responsibilities. This makes them experience
Researches dealt with the psychological symptoms associated with role stress such as job
job.The stresses include task and role; inherent characteristics such as role conflict, role
efficiency, role ambiguity, role overload and working conditions (Pareek, 1976).
Rani (1976) examined why working women took up a paid job (the assumption being that
they were doing something that was traditionally against their nature and prescribed role,
especially since they had very few role models being first generation working women
themselves). The study cited three reasons that motivated women to seek jobs outside
their traditional roles: economic or monitory gain, social role enhancement and personal
reasons. It was also reported that working women felt stressed due to the inability to
perform their traditional role (of homemaker and spouse) as there was not enough time or
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energy. This scarcity was the result of their working status. Support and a positive attitude
from husbands towards wives‟ work helped reduce the strain. Working women employed
paid help for two reasons: to reduce the demand from housework and because they could
pattern or redefinition of role of women in terms of the changed context has yet been
achieved. Neither working women nor their husbands, nor society in general, is clear
about their roles. Women‟s role and position at present are therefore, not clearly defined,
and thus the situation leads to role conflict and anxiety amongst working mothers
(Chakraborty, 1978). Gupta and Sruti (1982) carried out a study to analyse stress among
working women and its effect on marital adjustment. It was revealed that working women
suffer from role conflict and experienced high level of anxiety, which affects their marital
Kessler and MacRae (1982) in their study observed that the factors such as
financial situation, children‟s age, work availability, work passion, partner‟s support and
health all plays role in the decision to be working mom or stay-at-home mom.
Non-working mothers are concerned with their domestic field and has less scope to deal
with external stress situation. Their single role creates less pressure in their life and
situation and hence state anxiety is less prominent in them than in the case of working
mothers. This finding is supported by the study of Hoffman (1986); Kessler and MacRae
(1982). Moreover, they found that in general, state and trait both anxieties were
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Hemlatha and Suryanarayana (1983) concluded through a study on role interventions
of married working women that women‟s problems were greatly influenced by the age
and socio-economic status of working women and husband‟s nature, children‟s age and
number, family type and the nature of work and work timings. Husbands‟
problems.
Light (1984) studied the relationship between working mother‟s anxiety, depression,
hostility levels and their perceived career and family role commitments. It was reported
that women who placed career roles over family roles scored significantly higher on
anxiety than those for whom family roles were more important. It is, indeed, that career
Khanna (1992) studied life stress among working and non-working women in relation to
anxiety and depression. Anxiety was found to be significantly and negatively related to
significantly and positively related to positive life change in working women, and
negative life change in non-working women. These results suggest that in India, among
working women positive life changes are related to depression, whereas among non-
working women positive life changes are related to anxiety, and negative life changes to
depression.
Most common outcomes of stress for the working woman were poor mental and physical
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It has been observed that having a job has a positive effect on women‟s health, and that
the increasing participation of women in the workforce over decades has not negatively
affected their health but rather has improved it (Hall, 1992). Working women are in better
physical and psychological health than housewives (Baruch & Barnett, 1986; Hall 1992;
Matthews et al. 2001), and have lower levels of morbidity and mortality than unemployed
patterns and reported anxiety about work performance and relationships at work.
Avoidant patterns were associated with & concern over hours of work and, difficulties in
Lennon (1994) studied and found that fulltime housework involves more autonomy, more
interruptions, greater physical efforts, more routine, fewer time pressures and less
responsibility for matters outside one‟s control than paid work. Compared to
fulltime employed women, homemakers benefit from having less responsibility for
things outside their control. Employed women appeared to benefit from having less
Since, large numbers of non-professional women work not by choice as compared to the
professionally employed women; this reflects their lower level of motivation and
confidence which in turn is indicator of low life satisfaction and higher level of anxiety
(Chaudhary,1995).
statistically significant relationship with anxiety score. Traditional role theories suggest
that women who are trying to maintain several roles would be expected to
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experience negative stressful feelings (Mukhopadhyay, 1996). It has been concluded by
various studies that women (whether working or non-working) cope with anxiety in a
physiologically more economical way but at a higher psychological cost. This feeling
Carr et al. (1998) observed that even though a young mother chooses to work, the
workplace and work environment as a whole continue to be hostile towards them; and
Some research have focused upon mothers who are working in the academic field where
they have found slower academic progress attributed to working mothers in academic
medicine.
Prevalence of depression and anxiety were found to be higher during active life and
reproductive years (20-40 years) of women who forms a significant proportion of the
The positive association between employment and women‟s health status may also
reflect the selection of women being able to work, compared to those out of the labour
force for health or family reasons (Vermeulen & Mustard, 2000). Only a few
significant differences in mental health status between women who work and those who
do not (Warr & Parry, 1982; Waldron et al., 1982; Waldron, 1991).
Housewives or non-working mothers were more positive in dealing with personal life
stress, experienced high level of anxiety and had a high external locus of control than the
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Women, whether, in their motherhood or not, continues to work even after marriage.
When both spouses work, it may be necessary for the mother to retain her job if she has
insurance benefits, and if she wants to retire with better retirement benefits (Edelman,
2002).
Bajaj and Sachdeva (2004) studied anxiety among working and non-working women.
The working women were selected from three occupational sectors, i.e. nurses, school
teachers and bank employees (15 in each sector). Results revealed that in the lower
age group, working women exhibited significantly higher anxiety, whereas in the higher,
age group, non-working women showed more anxiety. Overall, working women
exhibited slightly more anxiety than non-working women, but the difference was not
significant.
Bakhshi et al. (2004) studied the impact of occupational stress on home environment: an
analytical study of working women of Ludhiana city, with the objective to examine
Results revealed that the impact of stress on house care was high while impact of stress
on social and leisure life revealed that they preferred to go for outing. Impact of stress on
Barnett (2004) pointed out the fact that employment has positive benefits on the mother.
It is also assumed that the roles of a mother and wife have relatively less stress as they are
natural roles, whereas the role of employee, being unnatural, is regarded as highly
demanding.
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Léger Marketing (2004) conducted a National Survey study based on telephone
interviews with 1,508 working women over 18 years of age who were diagnosed with
depression and/or anxiety, or who met diagnostic criteria. The report revealed that
one in five working Canadian women experience depression or anxiety, which has
caused some women to avoid or even, quit work. The survey found that most of the
women who experience depression or anxiety are: (1) between the ages of 35 and 55; (2)
lived in a city or a suburban community; and (3) have children. These women had
crossed most occupation types, education levels and income segments. The study also
found regional differences: More women in British Columbia were diagnosed with
depression and anxiety at 18 per cent than those from eastern regions such as 12 per cent
Ojha and Rani (2004) studied life stress and mental health of working and non-working
women, observed that the stress experienced by working women was significantly higher
Wilson (2006) has concluded that a great rush of married women into the workforce is
against the traditional belief that women must choose between family and career. Many
observers condemned working mothers as selfish, unnatural and even dangerous to their
society. He observed and concluded from his study that many working women reported to
have been doing their job as because they were seriously in need of money and as a
Woodward (2007) found that working women reported high workloads, requiring long
working hours, which consumed time and energy otherwise available for other
relationships and commitments and their own leisure. The situation is worst for working
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mothers as they have to make arrangement for their children when they have to go to
work and also have to have to help them in doing the home work when they are back
home.
The working mothers had better mental health and reported less depression than the non-
working mothers. The most frequently reported source of stress for working mothers was
not having enough time to do everything, whereas for non-working mothers lack of social
Jain (2009) did a comparative study on working and non-working women in terms of
personality, adjustment and anxiety. The study revealed that there was no significance
difference found in the mean scores of anxiety of working and non-working women.
Pandya and Thakkar (2009) studied working women and their problems. Their
objectives were to study the job related and household work related problems of working
women of Baroda and to study the differences in the overall problems, job related
problems and household work related problems of working women in relation to their
age, type of family, experience and distance from the workplace. It was found that most
of the working women came from nuclear family because the nuclear family is free from
most of the traditional restriction about female behaviour and there is more freedom
for women to seek employment. Majority of the respondents had more job related and
Iqbal et al. (2010) conducted a study on working and non-working mothers and found
that anxiety existed among 57% of the sampled mothers; 36% of the working mothers
and 74% of the non-working mothers reported to have anxiety. A statistically significant
association between anxiety in women, educational level and number of children was
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found. However, no significant association was observed between mothers‟ anxiety and
their family system. Amrithraj (2011) conducted a study of anxiety among 30 working
and 30 non-working mothers. Results indicated that working mothers were found to
be suffering from significantly higher levels of anxiety than the non-working mothers.
The difference between the two groups was also found statistically significant.
According to a study by Adhikari (2012), working mothers are prone to anxiety and
depression regarding their method of child care as they are absentees for long duration. It
was found that there were significant differences in anxiety of working mothers.
Beh and Loo (2012) conducted a research on job stress and coping mechanisms among
nursing staffs in Public Health Services. They intended to investigate the prominent
causes and effects of job stress and coping mechanism among nurses in public health
services. The results indicated that the major contributor of job stress among nurses is the
job itself. Heavy workload, repetitive work, and poor working environment were
among the stressors identified in the category of job itself. Respondents identified that
and between groups were the stressors. Respondents also view social support as a buffer
against the dysfunctional consequences of stress emanating from the workplace and
established network of friends, family, superior, peers, and colleagues to seek emotional
support when faced with job-related stress in the workplace. Further, respondents adopt
more than one coping mechanisms to combat job stress based on scenarios, situations,
and level of job stress. This study is limited only to the nurses in a public hospital.
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Geraiya and Yogesh (2012) studied the anxiety and psycho-physical stress among
and psycho physical stress with respect to both working and non-working women. The
correlation between anxiety and psycho physical stress revealed 0.65% positive
correlation.
Kaur et al. (2012) conducted a comparative study on working and non-working married
women and intended to observe whether anxiety affects life satisfaction or not. Results
revealed that there exists no significant difference between the two groups and the result
showed that anxiety and life satisfaction are experienced differently by working and non-
working women. It indicates that the low and high life satisfaction depends upon the level
of anxiety; the working women with low level of anxiety are higher on life satisfaction in
contrast to the non-working women. The results of the study show that females those who
are working and married, are low on anxiety with higher life satisfaction in comparison to
the non-working married females. They perceived their life as challenging and secure.
They feel comfortable with their life situations whereas the non-working married females
are less satisfied with their lives. Their anxiety level is also higher than the anxiety level
of working females.
Tripathi and Bhattacharjee (2012) studied the condition of working mothers in India.
They explained that in today‟s scenario both husband and wife has to work to create a
balance in their work life as well as at home with their children. But it is still difficult for
working mothers as she has to play multiple roles, both at office and home. This can
leave working mothers stressed and anxious and the conditions can be awful if the family
is not supportive. Moreover, in their paper, they discussed the different reasons due to
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which working women feel more stressed. They found out that even when both
parents are working, the responsibility of care for sick member usually falls on the
mother. Workload and anxiety are hence, high for working mothers.
Bhadoria (2013) investigated the differences in level of anxiety and depression among
working and non-working women. The results revealed that the mean score of working
women is lower than the corresponding mean score of non-working women in level of
anxiety. Also, significant mean difference on the level of anxiety and depression exists
Bankole (2015) in his study examined the relationship between stress, anxiety and
general life satisfaction of working mothers. The data findings revealed that there exists a
significant relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction. Moreover, it was
reported that
there exists a significant negative relationship between anxiety and life satisfaction
mothers. Both stress and anxiety had significant joint prediction of life satisfaction
Chhansiya and Jogsan (2015) conducted a research on ego strength and anxiety
among working and non-working women. They intended to know the significant
difference in ego strength and anxiety between working and non-working women; and to
check the relationship between ego strength and anxiety. The study revealed that there
was significant difference between working and non-working women in the ego strength.
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Moreover, there was significant difference between working and non-working women on
anxiety.
Weiss llgen and Sharbaugh (2010) in their study related demographic variables to
stressful events and job search. The findings of the study indicated that age, tenure in the
organisation and the hierarchical positions were negatively related, while marital status
Aldnnusi (2012) investigated the relationship between organisational and job stressors on
the one hand and individual characteristics of a sample of managers using correlation
analysis, on the other. It was found that educational attainment and level in the
Rani (2014) examined why working women took up a paid job (the assumption being
that they were doing something that was traditionally against their nature and prescribed
role, especially since they had very few role models being first generation working
women themselves). The study cited three reasons that motivated women to seek jobs
outside their traditional roles: economic or monitory gain, social role enhancement and
personal reasons. It was also reported that working women felt stressed due to the
inability to perform their traditional role (of homemaker and spouse) as there was not
enough time or energy. This scarcity was the result of their working status. Support and a
positive attitude from husbands towards wives‟ work helped reduce the strain. Working
women employed paid help for two reasons: to reduce the demand from housework and
because they could afford to pay for human help (servants or maids).
(Reddy & Ramamurti 2015) established that stress was found to be influenced by age,
general ability and personality factors among 200 male executives. Age was positively
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correlated with stress among 80 executives (Beena and Poduval 1991)35. (McGrath
(a)Task-based stress (difficulty, ambiguity, load, etc.), (b) Role-based stress (conflict,
ambiguity, load, etc.) (c) Stress intrinsic to behaviour setting (e.g., effect of crowding or
under manning etc.). (d) Stress arising from the physical environment itself (e.g., extreme
hot/cold, hostile forces etc). (e) Stress arising from social environment in sense of
interpersonal relations (e.g., interpersonal disagreement, privacy, isolation etc.) (f) Stress
within the person system, which the focal person brings with him to the situation (e.g.,
(Landy and Trumbo 2016) have reported job insecurity, excessive competition,
hazardous working conditions, task demands and large or unusual working hours as
major sources of job stress. Factors intrinsic to the job, i.e., paced-repetitive work, lack of
opportunities to use valued skills and abilities, and high costs and penalties for mistakes
have been indicated as stressors in the work setting (Kornhauser 1965)38. Time
constraint (Hall and Lawler 1971)39, heavy workload (Buck 1972) excessive and
inconvenient work hours (Mott 1972)41 have also been reported as sources of job stress.
(Quick and Quick 1979)42 have emphasized the role of interpersonal factors in creating
stress at work.
Beck et al. (2016) conducted a study on the mental health and anxiety among working
and non-working mothers and found that working mothers had better mental health and
reported less anxiety than the non-working mothers. The most frequently reported source
of stress for working mothers was not having enough time to do everything, whereas for
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Hoffman (2015) has concluded that the working woman who obtains satisfaction from
her work, who has adequate arrangements so that her dual role does not involve undue
strain and who does not feel so guilty that she over-compensates is likely to do quite well
Another study on working women indicated that women who choose to combine
marriage with career face a critical situation and they hardly know how to apportion time
and resources between these two major responsibilities. This makes them experience
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
gives various steps in conducting the research in a systematic and a logical way. It is
essential to define the problem, state objectives and hypothesis clearly. The research
design provides the details regarding what, where, when, how much and by what
means enquiry is initiated. Every piece of research must be planned and designed
carefully so that the researcher precedes a head without getting confused at the
what is to be done, what data is needed, what data collecting tools are to be
employed and how the data is to be statistically analyzed and interpreted. There are a
number of approaches to the design of studies and research projects all of which may
or theories, resulting to some extent in prediction and control of events that may be
possible under ordinary mean. Thus, research always starts from question. There are
three objectives of research factual, practical and theoretical, which gives rise to
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three types of research: historical, experimental and descriptive.
Research design has been defined by different social scientists in a number of ways.
information for interpretation. Selltize et al. (1962) expressed their views as,
“Research designs are closely linked to investigator’s objectives. They specify that
tells us how to plan various phases and procedures related to the formulation of
research effort (Ackoff Russell, 1961). Miller (1989) has defined research design, “as
the planned sequence of the entire process involved in conducting a research study.”
Kothari (1990) observes, “Research design stands for advance planning of the
method to be adapted for collecting the relevant data and the techniques to be used in
their research and availability of staff, time and money.” In this way selecting a
particular design is based on the purpose of the piece of the research to be conducted.
The design deals with selection of subjects, selection of data gathering devices, the
RESEARCH METHOD
It is not infrequent to find the terms ‘method’ and procedure used interchangeably in
research literature. It is so because both the terms generally used to understand the
Research studies are distinguished on the basis of their different purpose and
related literature collection, analysis and interpretation of new data and reporting of
the work done are the steps of procedure common to all types of methods of
research.
Hence it can be held that steps of procedure in educational research are an element
To success fully complete any research work the method selected should always be
observation of related literature the investigator has arrived to the conclusion that
descriptive survey method is appropriate because this problem is related most to the
survey method.
HISTORICAL METHOD
This provides a method of s to discover, describe and interpret what existed in the
past. This type of research describes what was ,the process involve recording
,investigation, analysis and interpretation of the event of the past in order to make
The main purpose of historical research is to arrive at exact account of the past, this
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DESCRIPTIVE METHOD
the current position of the present research. The terms survey suggest the gathering
used for type of research which proposes to as certain what is the normal or typical
Descriptive survey method is one of the most common methods in research work. It
all directed towards a proper under standing and solution of significant educational
problems.
present situation.
achieving the goals on the basis of the experience of other or the opinion of experts.
The investigator in her present study has attempted to study the personality traits of
Due to large number of women taking to professional jobs, such a study is relevant to
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present and current conditions.
various stages beginning with the planning and ending with the writing of the final
6. Collection of data.
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RESEARCH METHOD
Evaluative research technique of Descriptive Research was employed to carry out this
RESEARCH PROBLEM
To compare the level of stress among working and non working women.
To compare the level of anxiety among working and non working women.
To study the relationship between stress level and anxiety among working and
H01. There is significant difference between the stress level of working and non working
women.
H02.There is significant difference in the level of anxiety among working and non
working women.
H03.There is significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among working
POPULATION
SAMPLE
In the present study, the population refers to working and non-Working women in
Gurgaon. For the present study, 50 working women and 50, non-working under the age
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group of 25-35 years in Gurgaon was constitute the sample. The sample was selected
STRESS SCALE
For the measurement of stress level of SS stress scale were used. It is constructed by Dr.
M. Singh (2002). It is verbal test. This test is available in both version Hindi and English.
Stress scale Hindi version was used in present research. It is published by institute of
research and test development, Mumbai. It can be used individually or in a group. This
stress scale is self-reporting scale of measuring stress. Reliability coefficient of the scale
was estimated by Split-half method and Test-retest method and correlation was found
0.82 and 0.79 respectively. Validity coefficient was computed with Bist Battery of Stress
Scale (Abha Rani Bist) and correlation was found 0.61. Norms: Sample consists of stress-
riden 80 male and 60 female patients reported in mental clinics. The age range was 16 to
“never” alternatives from which a respondent has to choose any one response out of three
alternatives.
Maternal state and trait anxiety will be measured using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory. State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Spielberger et al., (1970) is a reliable and
valid tool that has been used with both clinical and non-clinical populations. The measure
comprises separate self–report scales for assessing state and trait anxiety. The state anxiety
scale consists of 20 items that evaluate how a person presently feels (or the current
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feelings of tension, anxiety, and nervousness), while trait anxiety scale evaluates how the
Inventory by Mohandas and Kumar (1994), Mahatma Gandhi University was used in this
study. This inventory also contains 20 state and 20 trait questions and was filled on each
occasion.
Reliability: This standardized tool was tested in the locality by many researchers. Split-
half reliability was 0 .89 for State anxiety and 0.79 for Trait anxiety.
Validity: The correlation coefficient obtained for State inventory was 0.84 and for Trait
inventory was 0.86. Face validity was also assured by item analysis. Cronbach’s alpha, in
the previous study was >0.88 for state anxiety and >0.83 for trait anxiety.
Scoring: The range of possible scores of STAI varies from minimum score of twenty to
maximum score of 80 in both State and Trait subscales. Clients respond to each STAI item
2. Somewhat 2. Sometimes
3. Moderately so 3. Often
The total score of 160 is considered as the maximum scores for STAI and in this study
STAI score of < 50% will be considered as mild anxiety, 50-70% as moderate anxiety and
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Statistical Analysis
The data was analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, t-test and coefficient of
The study was limited to the following due to time constrains and limited
25-35 years.
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CHAPTER 4
INTERPRETATIONS
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DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Introduction
The research work is not completed merely by the collection of the data, in fact
“Tabulation is simply the recording of the number of the types of responses in the
appropriate categories.”
It is truism and weighty statement that the raw scores hardly carry any significant
results unless they are interpreted and generalized in a proper way. The objective of
the investigator remains unrealized without the interpretation and the analysis of the
bars facts and material collected through the tools used for the study. Since it is only
through generalization and interpretation that the researcher can reach certain
conclusion, the objective of the chapter is the analysis of the data, which implies the
study ofthe tabulated material in order to determine the inherent factors or meaning.
It no doubt helps in breaking down the existing complex factors into simple parts and
puts the part together in new arrangement for the purpose of interpretation.
S.P. Sukhia
After data is processed it has to be analyzed for testing the significance of the
hypothesis framed. Analysis is a process enters into research in one form or the other,
from the very beginning in the selection of the problem, in the determination of
methods and in interpreting and drawing conclusions from data gathered. Analysis
of data means studying the organized material in order to discover inherent facts. The
data are studied from as many angles as possible to explore the few facts. Analysis
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requires an alert, flexible and open mind. It is worthwhile to prepare plan of analysis
before the actual collection of data. Good, Barr and Scates (1941) suggest four
To examine carefully the statement of the problem and earlier analysis and to
To get away from the data and to think about the problem in layman’s terms, or
Interpretation is the final phase of the analysis process. According to Carter, V. Good,
A.S. Barr and Douglas. E. Ecates, the process of interpretation is essentially one of
stating what the results show, what they mean, what their significance is and what the
process. It calls for a critical examination of the results of one’s analysis in the light
of all the limitations of data gathering. It is the most important step in the total
procedure of research. The analysis and interpretation of data both together represent
the application of inductive and deductive logic to the research process. The data are
first classified by division into subgroup and are then analyzed and synthesized in
such a way that hypothesis may be verified or rejected. The final result may be a new
principle or generalization.
Need of Interpretation
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It is through interpretation that the researcher can well understand the abstract
principle that works beneath his findings. Interpretation leads to the establishment of
explanatory concepts that can serve as a guide for future research studies.
Research can better appreciate only through interpretation what are his findings and
can make others to understand the real significance of his research findings.
The interpretation of the finding of exploratory research study often results into
Technique of interpretation
he has found, and he must interpret the lines of relationship in terms of the
underlying processes.
results of research study it may prove to be a key factor in understanding the problem
under consideration.
someone, which will lead to a result in correct interpretation and thus will enhance
considering all relevant factors affecting the problem to avoid false generalization.
Classification
Most research studies result in a large volume of raw data which must be
reduced into homogenous group, if we are to get meaningful relationships. This fact
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necessitates classification of data which happens to be the process of arranging data
characteristics are placed in one class and in this way the entire data get divided into
When a mass of data has been assembled, it becomes necessary for the researcher to
arrange the same in some kind of concise and logical order. This procedure is
referred to as tabulation. Thus, tabulation is the process of summarizing raw data and
displaying the same in compact form for further analysis. In a broader sense,
minimum.
2. It facilities the summation of items and the detection of errors and omissions.
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Table 4.1 Showing the Percentage of Socio-Demographic Variables of Working
Women (N = 50)
Mothers
25-30 10%
1. Age
30-35 90%
Graduates 100%
2. Educational
Post- Graduates 0%
Level
General 34%
OBC 22%
3. Castes SC 14%
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ST 30%
Hindus 52%
Muslim 36%
Others 0%
Nuclear 88%
Extended 0%
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Table 4.2 Showing the Percentage of Socio-Demographic Variables of Non -Working
Women (N = 50)
Working
Mothers
25-30 20%
1. Age
30-35 80%
Graduates 95%
2. Educational
Post- Graduates 5%
Level
General 50%
OBC 20%
3. Castes SC 15%
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ST 15%
Hindus 70%
Muslim 20%
Others 0%
Nuclear 90%
Extended 0%
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Level of stress and anxiety among working women
In order to find the level of stress of working women the total scores obtained were
Table-4.3: The percentage of women having high, moderate and low Levels of
Stress
High 16
Moderate 68
Stress
Low 16
Total 100.0
From the Table 4.3 it is found that16% of women were found to be having high level of
stress, 68% of women had low level of stress and 16% women found to be moderate
level of stress.
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Table 4.4: The percentage of women having high, moderate and low Level of
Anxiety
High 14
Anxiety
Moderate 72
Low 14
Total 100.0
From the Table 4.4 it is evident that 14% of them were having high level of anxiety, 72
percentage of women were found to be average women, 14% of them were showed low
level of anxiety.
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Level of stress and anxiety among Non-working women
In order to find the level of stress of Non-working women the total scores obtained were
Table-4.5: The percentage of Non-women having high, moderate and low Levels of
Stress
High 15
Moderate 75
Stress
Low 10
Total 100.0
From the Table 4.5 it is found that15% of Non-women were found to be having high
level of stress, 75% of Non-women had low level of stress and 10% Non-women found
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Table 4.6: The percentage of Non-women having high, moderate and low Level of
Anxiety
High 20
Anxiety
Moderate 70
Low 10
Total 100.0
From the Table 4.6 it is evident that 20% of them were having high level of anxiety, 70
percentage of Non-women were found to be average women, 10% of them were showed
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HYPOTHESIS TO BE TESTED
There is a significant difference between the stress level of working and non-working
women.
Table 4.7: Significant difference between the stress level of working and non-
working women
N Mean SD t df sig
From the Table 4.7 it is found that the obtained value of t (3.596) is higher than the
table value of ‗t at 0.01 (2.57) levels. Hence the hypothesis 1 is accepted. This shows
that there is a significant difference between the stress level of working and non working
women.
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There is significant difference in the level of anxiety among working and non-
workingwomen.
Table 4.8: Significant difference between the anxiety among working and non-
working women
N Mean SD t df sig
From the Table 4.8 it is found that the obtained value of t (2.99) is higher than the table
value of ‗t at 0.01 (2.57) levels. Hence the hypothesis 2 is accepted. This shows that
there is a significant difference between the anxiety among working and non working
women.
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There is significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among working and
There is significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among working women
Table 4.9 Relationship between stress level and anxiety among working women.
Variable N r Significance
Stress
&
50 0.223 0.00
Anxiety
From the Table 4.8 it is evident that ‗r‘ value of stress & anxiety is 0.223 In the other
It is found that the ‗r‘ value is (0.223) is significant. Hence hypothesis accepted. This
shows that there is a significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among
working women
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There is a significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among non-working
women
Table 4.10 Relationship between stress level and anxiety among non-working
women
Variable N r Significance
Stress
50
&
0.182 0.00
Anxiety
From the Table 4.9 it is evident that ‗r‘ (0.182) value is significant. Hence hypothesis is
accepted. In the other words stress level and anxiety among non-working women was
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CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS &
SUGGESTIONS
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SUMMARY
Women play a pivotal role in the decision making process of organisations and within the
family. Indian culture bestows on women the role of caretaker of the family. Women are
increasingly moving out of their homes and into the work environment. A greater number
The economic pressures of inflation, influence of the women’s movement and the
psychological need to develop one’s self identity are encouraging the women to take a
more active role outside the home to pursue full time career. This shift from private to
public domain gives an impression that woman that finally liberated from shackles of
patriarchal norms. However, closer look at the scenario makes us realize that working
women face new set of problems involving both job and family.
An overview of` the survey of Literature reveals that so for no serious effort has been
Evaluative research technique of Descriptive Research was employed to carry out this
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HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
H01. There is a significant difference between the stress level of working and non-
working women.
H02.There is a significant difference in the level of anxiety among working and non-
workingwomen.
H02. There is a significant relationship between stress level and anxiety among working
POPULATION
SAMPLE
In the present study, the population refers to working and non-Working women in
Gurgaon. For the present study, 50 working women and 50, non-working under the age
group of 25-35 years in Gurgaon was constitute the sample. The sample was selected
Stress scale
For the measurement of stress level of SS stress scale were used. It is constructed by Dr.
Maternal state and trait anxiety will be measured using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory. State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Spielberger et al., (1970) is a reliable and
valid tool that has been used with both clinical and non-clinical populations.
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MAJOR FINDINGS
It is found that16% of women were found to be having high level of stress, 68%
of women had low level of stress and 16% women found to be moderate level of
stress.
It is evident that 14% of them were having high level of anxiety, 72 percentage of
women were found to be average women, 14% of them were showed low level of
anxiety.
It is found that15% of Non-women were found to be having high level of stress,
75% of Non-women had low level of stress and 10% Non-women found to be
Non-women were found to be average women, 10% of them were showed low
level of anxiety.
It is found that the obtained value of t (3.596) is higher than the table value of ‗t
at 0.01 (2.57) levels. Hence the hypothesis 1 is accepted. This shows that there is
a significant difference between the stress level of working and non working
women.
It is found that the obtained value of t (2.99) is higher than the table value of ‗t
at 0.01 (2.57) levels. Hence the hypothesis 2 is accepted. This shows that there is
a significant difference between the anxiety among working and non working
women.
The‗r‘ value of stress & anxiety is 0.223 In the other words correlation stress
level and anxiety among working women. This shows that there is a significant
The r value (0.182) value is significant. In the other words stress level and
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CONCLUSION
The role of women in the society is constantly questioned and for centuries, women have
a porthole into the lives, thoughts and actions of women during certain periods of time in
a fictitious form, yet often truthful in many ways. Woman has a great part to play
in the progress of our country, as the mental and physical contact of women with life is
much more lasting and comprehensive than that of men. In the apron-string of women is
hidden the revolutionary energy, which can establish paradise on this earth. Woman is
with equal mental faculty, a protector and a provider, the embodiment of love and
affection. The role specified to women in a society is a measuring bar and it is a true
index of its civilization and cultural attainment. The study revealed that there is a
significant difference between the stress level and anxiety of working and non-working
women. Similarly there is a positive relationship between stress level and anxiety among
1. This type of research can also be extended to all the states of India, so that a clear
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2. Further research can be conducted to increase the applicability of the present research
3. Increase in the sample size and variability in sample inclusion criteria may be helpful
4. Studies may also be extended to other professions to give better understanding of the
6. Similar family studies may also be useful to learn about the 'coping mechanisms
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APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRES
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QUESTIONNAIRE — I
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