Author Name: – Vaani Goel Date:- 24 March 2026
Background: Being a mother means managing a multitude of responsibilities- such as taking care of your family and household management- which can lead to increased stress. This study examines the association between role load, self-concept clarity, and perceived stress among mothers, while also testing whether social support acts as a protective buffer. A total of 50 mothers (mean age = 38) completed an online survey measuring their experiences with the four variables. It was hypothesized that higher role load would be associated with greater perceived stress and lower self-concept clarity. Furthermore, we predicted that social support would act as a buffer, weakening the negative association between role load and both perceived stress and self-concept clarity. The results revealed a positive correlation between role load and perceived stress, r([df]) = [.XX], p < .001. A negative correlation was found between role load and self-concept clarity, r([df]) = [-.XX], p < .001. A moderation analysis indicated that social support significantly buffered the link between role load and perceived stress, but not between role load and self-concept clarity. These findings underscore the psychological challenges associated with role load in mothers and highlight the critical, albeit specific, role of social support in mitigating its stressful effects.
Keywords: role load, self-concept clarity, perceived stress, social support, mothers.
