Role Overload Scale (Wife)

What it measures

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.

Representative items

• I have to do too many things for the time I have available.
• I feel that my multiple roles — as wife, employee, and household manager — leave me with too little time.
• I often feel overwhelmed by all my responsibilities.

Citation

Reilly, M.D. (1982). Working wives and convenience consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 8(4), 407–418.