What is typically the outcome of role strain?

Role strain occurs when an individual experiences difficulty in fulfilling the expectations of a single social role due to competing demands, limited resources, or conflicting responsibilities. As individuals face these challenges, they often feel overwhelmed, which can lead to increased stress or anxiety. This heightened emotional state is a common reaction when one struggles to meet the obligations associated with a particular role, such as being a parent, employee, or student.

The other options do not align with the typical consequences of role strain. For example, ease in multitasking would suggest that managing multiple tasks is effortless, which contradicts the experience of role strain, where juggling responsibilities typically becomes a challenge. Enhanced personal relationships are not a direct result of role strain; in fact, the stress associated with navigating conflicting duties can sometimes harm relationships. Similarly, clarity in role expectations is often what one strives for to mitigate role strain, but when role strain occurs, confusion and ambiguity regarding those expectations become more prevalent rather than clearer. Thus, increased stress or anxiety stands out as the most accurate outcome of role strain.