Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1970 Maternal Attitudes Toward Daylight-Saving Time Jean C. Johnson Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Johnson, Jean C., "Maternal Attitudes Toward Daylight-Saving Time" (1970). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 2618. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2618 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MATERNAL ATTITUDES TOWARD DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME by Jean C . Johnson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Child Development - r ACK :-IO'.iLEDG lliEUTS Deep npprllciation is expressed t o Or. Jay D. Schv:moveldt for t he many helpful ~ug5estions , encoura[ement , and gi ving of his tir.e t hroughout the writing of this tha~i~ . Appreciation is also extended to Dr . Don Carter for hi s encouragement dur ing the initial stages of this study and for ins hel pful E;Uidanca. Gratitude is extended to Hiss Edith ilyman for her criticisms and comments . I also l·Tant to thank my fa.'llily, my mother s , fathor , brothors , and sisters fo:r t hci:r kindnessess and unselfish hel p >rhich they have extonded to me during tho completion of this study. Appreciation is also expres- sed t o my four c.l)ildren who increased my interest i n this study, and Hho have pa~icntl:l H-1itod for its compl etion. Above all, to rry husband, 1vho has aided mo in every way and has supported me uith help in mal:ing compl otion of t his study possi ble , I express my l ove and appreciation. : r ) Joan C. ,Johnson TABLS OF C O~TENTS JNTORDUCTIO:'l ••••••• •• •••••••••••• , • , , , •• , , , , , • , • , , • , • , , • , • • , l Origin of the ?roblom • , , •••• , ••••• , , , ••• , , •••• , •• , , , • , , l Purpose ••••••• • ••• , • , • • •••••••• •••••••• , •••••••••• • •••• 2 Hypothesis 3 Dafinition of Terms •••• ••• ••••••••• ••••• •• ••• •••• •••• •• 3 REVIEW OF LITERATUIB ........................................ 4 Heaning of Time • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 History of Daylight-saving Time • • • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • .. • • 5 Family Life cycle 7 9 PROC EDUIB •••• , • •• • , •• •••••••• , ••• , • , • , • , , , • , •• , •• , • •• , , •• , • , ll DAscripti on of Totil Sa~plo •••••••••••••••••·•••••• •• •• 11 D9scription of Sa~ple for Each Stage ••••••• • • •••••••••• 12 !)ascription of :rn s t ru_'llent s ••••••••••••••••••••• • ••••••• 14 Validity and Reli ability ............................... 15 Resoarch Desi gn , • , , , • , , • • • , , , ••• ••• , • , , • •• • • , , ••••••• •• 16 Ar1 alys i ~ Toch.'liqucs , , , •• , , ••••• , , • , • , , ••••••••••• •• ••• , 19 FINDINGS ••••••••••••• • • , •••••••••••• , •••• • •• • •• • •••••• • • • ••• 20 Findings Pertinent to J{ypoth!'si s • • • ••••••• • ••••• ••••••• 20 Bo.c'<ground V::tr•iab1os ••••••••••••• • ••••••• •• •••••••••••• 21+ Sll:.:r::a1·y of Findings ••.•• • .• .••.•.• ..•..•.•...•. • .....•• 30 Page SUl.WIARY AN D DISCUSSION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 32 Summary • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 32 Di scussion • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 34 SU ggestio n~ for FUture Research •••••••• • •••••••••••••• • •• 39 LITERATURE CIT ED • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4-0 APPE:-IDIX • •••• , •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• , ••••••••••••• , • • • 42 Appendix A. Statements Checked by Stages 3, 4, and 5 ••••• 43 Appendix B. Daylight- saving Time Questionnaire 48 LIST OF TABLES 1. Descripti on of Sample by rmmbor of Children in Stages J , 4 and 5••..•.•••..•••• •.•..• ••.• .•. •• . 12 2. Description of Sample by Number of Boys in Sta;;es J , 4 and 5•.••..•.• ••• •.•.•••••••...••.••.•. lJ 3. Description of Sa'llple by Nu.'!lbor of Girls in Stages J, 4 and 5• •••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 14 4 . Desc ~iption of Sa'llple by Education, Occu­ pation of Father, Rel igion , and Age of ]~others in Stages 3 , 4 and ••••••••••••••••• • •••••• 18 5. l~atornal Attitude s Toward Daylight- saving Time in Stages J , 4 and 5• •••• • •••••••••••••••••••• 23 6 . Family Size and l·!ater nal Attitudes in Stages 3, 4 and 5 ••••••• •• • •••••••••••••••••••••••• 25 7. Sex of Children and l':at~rnal Attitudes ••••••••••••• 26 8 . Education and J1aternal Attitudes in Star;o s J, 4 and 5 ••••• •••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 26 9 . Occupation of Father and NateL-r.~~ Attitudes in s tagl.'ls 3. 4 and 5• •••••••••••••• ••••••••••••• ••• 29 10 . Ago of J·:0thers :1r.d i':atornal Attitudes in Stages J, 4 and 5• . ••..•.•••••••• •••..•••••• , •••••• )0 ABSTRACT Haternal Attitudes Toward Daylight-saving Time by Jean C. Johnson , !·laster of Science Utah State University , 1970 Major Professor: Dr. Jay D. Schvaneveldt Departrnen t : Family and Child Devel op:nent The purpose of this s tudy was to assess maternal a ttitudes to;;ard dayl ight- saving t ime wi thin throe st ages of the fa"'ilY life cycle. General mat ernal attitudes >rere also assessed tm1ard daylight-~avin g time . other variables such as size of f ~ ily , sex of children, educa t ion of mother , occupation of fathe r, and age of mother Her e used to det cmine i f there was any association bet ,;een thes e variabl es and attitudes of mothers to;rard daylight-saving time . A Likert-type scale cc.pable of measur­ ing maternal a ttitudes to>:ard daylight- saving ti.'!le was develor:>d f or this study. A checklist of 41 items was also developed t o dote1~ine or i dentify reasons 1·:hy mo thers e ithor l ike or disl ike dayli;;ht- savin.; t ime. The sample consi sted of 60 mothers selected in a r a ndom fashion from those who had children onrollod in the C.lc!ild Devolop:nent Laboratory School at Utah State University. The findin6S i!ldicatod t hat attitudes of mothers 1-li'r o significantly differ ent \;(•tHe(m stages 3 and 4 . :·lathers in Stage 3 liked daylieht - . saving tirne and !l'.ot! '31'5 in St at;e 4 didikod daylight- !:Oavin;; time. There was a sienific~.nt difference in general matornal attit".ldes ; ~mall families liked daylight-saving time, large families dialiked daylight­ saving time. In Stage 4, the size of fa~ily made no difference as these mothers had negative attitudes . Attitudes of mothers differed signifi­ cantly bet><e<m families who had a small or l arge number of boys , with negative attitudes >rhen there was a l arge number of boys, and no di1ference as to number of girls. There was a significant difference between professional and skilled occupation of husband. Positive attitudes prevailed if husband was a professional; negative if husband had skilled work. Rea~ons as t o causation of t he findings were also discussed. (60 pages ) INTRODUCTION Origin of the Problem As a fuel-saving measure during Horld War II, Congress enacted nationwide dayl isht-saving t ime. When the war ended, s t ates and l ocal communities were given the right to choose whether they wanted to con­ tinue on daylight- s11ving t ime or not. As soJte stat es continued with daylight- saving t ir,le and others did not, problem s ware created. Hany peopl e felt the inconvenience of time differentials as parts of the country were using standard tL~e and other sections were on daylight­ saving time. In 1 966 , congress passed the Uniform Time Act which r e­ quired all states , except by state l egislative chango , to advance t ime one hour from the l ast Sunday in April until the last SUndsy in October of each year (Senate Hisc llanoious Reports on Public Bills, 1967 ). IlY 1969 , all ~tatos excopt t>m had approved dcylight-saving ti.'l:o. Public opinion varied considerably touard this act (Ti.'l!e , July, 1 967 ). Thoso uho lil:od deylight-saving time felt the Unifor:n Tin:.a Act endod confusion and uncertainty. So:ne , hm.-cv0r, objoctud to daylight-sr..ving ti.'l!a considering it as 11fa5t t i:r.c" thu~ nC:ding to their problems. 0.1t of intorviows >rith mothera, conducted by this invostic;ator, ca.-no a variety of exprezsed matarn:ll attitudes t mr<~ rd daylight-:::avi.n;; ti.'l!e. Hany moth!olrs exprE!ssed :;trong f oel in<;s r-<.r;ardir.g daylight-:,aving tir.r• and how d <o;yli;;ht-s:.ving t i Le had uffected them and their f ::milic ~ . Tho purpose of this study was to ass c~ :; maternal attituclc s to;· ll'd dayli::;h t-saving ti:ne IIithin ti:e frnr:c Hork of tho 2 family life cycle. The natura of the f am ily l ife cy cle provides a basi3 for studying the variability of mothers ' attitudes to>rard thi:; probls,"l , This frame­ work provides a means for analyzing the changes that t ake placG from marriage through dissolution of the f a:nily (Glick and Parke , 1965) . Since ~aternal attitudes are closely related to the family life ~fclo, certain variances of maternal attitude s toward daylight-saving time may be associated with different stages in the f am ily lifo cycle. The fan:ily life cycle as outlined by D..tvall (1962) is u sed in th:ls study because it is a t wo dimensional outline ><hich shous t he develop­ mental t asks of the children