News Release

Does the availability of parental leave affect social norms on gender division of childcare?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Wiley

In research published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, investigators examined the relationship between countries’ parental leave policies and young adults’ perceptions of social norms for the division of childcare duties between mothers and fathers.

In the study of 19,259 university students (11,924 women) from 48 countries, the degree to which participants believed childcare is equally divided among mothers and fathers and the degree to which they believed childcare should be equally divided were both stronger when parental leave was available in their particular country.

Analyses of time since policy change suggested that people first interpret a new policy as a normative signal about what should be done, and it takes more time until they see this reflected in what other people in their country actually do.

“Our findings provide empirical support for the expressive function of policy. Nevertheless, due to the cross-sectional nature of the data, the present results should not be understood as evidence for causal mechanisms,” said corresponding author Prof. Simon Schindler, of the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences in Germany. He and his co-authors noted that although they theoretically address the question of whether policymaking impacts social norm shifts, it is also plausible that existing social norms impact policymaking.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjso.12806

 

Additional Information
NOTE:
 The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
The British Journal of Social Psychology is an international journal that publishes impactful basic and applied social psychological research from all parts of the world. Our aim is to showcase research at the forefront of theoretical and methodological innovation that contributes to informing psychological perspectives of social-contextual challenges and audiences beyond academia. We value diverse perspectives and are committed to robust and transparent research practices.

About Wiley     
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.