Intensive Mothering Beliefs Among Full-Time Employed Mothers of Infants

This study examined the degree to which 205 full-time employed mothers of infants endorsed intensive mothering beliefs (IMB), the stability of IMB, and contextual correlates of IMB. Results suggested that full-time employed mothers in this study did not endorse IMB, on average, but that endorsement varied for specific domains of IMB for the total sample and by mothers’ education. Global IMB scores did not change from 4 to 16 months postpartum, with the exception of single mothers whose scores declined over time. Endorsement of IMB was associated with multiple socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and endorsement of IMB also varied based on unique intersections of race, education, and marital status