Fascinating Womanhood as a Regression in the Emotional Maturation of Women

"Fascinating womanhood" (Andelin, 1974) is explored as a response to anxiety generated by awareness of the potential for experiencing the self as a separate, responsible person. Such a response represents regression and offers only temporary reprieval from personal and/or marital distress. Clinical experiences are related to this concept; observations suggest that the solution formalized by Andelin is unsatisfactory.
A therapeutic approach that can be utilized in encouraging optimal individuation is discussed, with group, marital, and individual therapy examples. A sequence of predictable responses to therapeutic confrontation has been identified, along with indicators for evaluating progress or retreat from the process. Precautions in the use of this approach are also discussed.     

Workplace intrusions and employee strain: the interactive effects of extraversion and emotional stability

Background/objectives: Intrusions are a type of workplace interruption defined as unexpected interpersonal contact that disrupts workflow. Drawing from the Job Demands-Resources model of work stress, we examined how two personal resources – extraversion and emotional stability – influence relations among intrusions and strain outcomes.

Design/methodology: Self-reported, online questionnaire data were collected from two samples; 323 faculty and staff from a university (sample 1) and 574 full-time employees recruited from an online crowdsourcing forum (sample 2).

Results: In sample 1 extraversion was positively related to intrusions, whereas in sample 2, extraversion and emotional stability were negatively related to intrusions. There were no interactive effects of personality on relations among intrusions and strain outcomes in sample 1. In sample 2, low emotional stability strengthened relations among intrusions and work tension. Additionally, intrusions were negatively associated with stress for individuals high on emotional stability. Finally, introverts experienced less stress in response to intrusions.

Conclusion: Taking a person-situation interactionist approach, we examined personal resources that may mitigate interruption-related strain. Our findings suggest that for employees high in emotional stability, interruptions may be both less detrimental and, in some cases, beneficial. This study has practical implications for the structuring of work environments to mitigate strain and maximize person-environment fit.