Divergent worlds: the daily emotional experience of mothers and fathers in the domestic and public spheres.

This study compared the emotional states experienced by mothers and fathers during daily activities in the domestic and public spheres. Participants carried pagers for 1 week and reported their states when signaled at random times. Patterns for mothers and fathers differed markedly. Mothers reported more positive states in activities away from home, including during work at a job. These states were related to the perceived friendliness of co-workers. Fathers reported more positive states in the home sphere, partly because they spent more of this time n personal and recreational activities and partly because they experienced more choice, even during family work.