The Role Overload Scale measures the degree to which employed women perceive that the demands of their combined occupational, household, and family roles exceed their time and energy resources. Reilly (1982) used the scale to test the hypothesis that dual-role overload drives convenience consumption — the purchase and use of time-saving products, convenience foods, and labour-saving services. High-overload respondents were more likely to purchase convenience foods, use commercial laundry services, eat out frequently, and rely on ready-made products. This established role overload as a meaningful consumer segmentation variable and demonstrated that consumption patterns cannot be fully explained by income or demographics alone. Role overload also predicts stress-driven consumption, impulsive buying in time-pressured contexts, and reduced engagement with effortful purchase decisions.
5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree); items averaged to a single role overload score
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Developed in 1982 US context with married employed women. When applying to diverse samples, adapt items to reflect the target population's role configuration (e.g., single parents, dual-income households, employed men). Role overload is distinct from time pressure as a situational variable — measures perceptions of structural role demand. Complement with time pressure measures (Iyer, 1989) and convenience orientation measures.
Reilly, M.D. (1982). Working wives and convenience consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 8(4), 407–418.
Free access to 2455+ psychometric scales at PsychScales