Impoverished ascriptions: Investigating stereotypes of single parents from a social role perspective

Single parenthood is stigmatized, and the current research clarifies how beliefs about agency and communion correspond to this stigma. Consistent with social role theory, the agency and communion ascribed to parents should reflect their success in meeting the demands of parental roles. Yet, the association of single parents with lower socioeconomic status than married parents likely compromises confidence that single parents can fulfill their parental role obligations and, therefore, lowers their perceived agency and communion. To test this account of beliefs about single parents, four experiments ( N = 1003) used multiple methods and samples to examine participants’ beliefs about single and married parents and the psychological links between marital status, socioeconomic status, and the ascription of agency and communion. In general, participants ascribed less agency and communion to single than married parents but not to single parents described as high in socioeconomic status (well-educated and financially well-off).