The benefits of being clear: role clarity in stepmotherhood is associated with greater overall identity clarity and well-being

ABSTRACT

Stepfamilies are one of the most common familial structures in the United States. The present research sought to examine the experiences of stepparents, specifically stepmothers, as one window into stepfamily functioning. Researchers theorize that the role of being a stepmother is poorly defined within American society compared to other social roles and that this lack of definition is a source of distress for stepparents. In a study of stepmothers (N = 152), the current research found robust associations between greater clarity within the role of being a stepmother, greater overall identity clarity, and greater personal and relational well-being. Additional exploratory analyses examined demographic predictors or role clarity, as well as demographic moderators of our key effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-concept clarity
• role-clarity
• stepmotherhood
• well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2024.2369341

Notes

1. Some research suggests stepchildren struggle more with academic and mental health outcomes than children not living in stepfamilies; however, evidence for this claim is inconsistent (e.g., Hetherington & Elmore, 2003).

2. The current discussion is limited to perceptions of stepmothers in North America, specifically American society, simply due to the nature of the samples used in previous work, as well as in the current research.