Measurement and the Analysis of Burden

Abstract

Past research on the concept of burden has failed to place it in the larger context of social interaction and small group analysis. This failure to integrate the concept into a more general area of knowledge prevents researchers from viewing burden as a product of dyadic interaction that is best studied over time. This article moves the concept and measurement of burden into a more general system of variables, showing that the issues of burden relating to the elderly and the mentally impaired are special cases. A model that accommodates the crucial element of time is presented for the conceptualization of burden and the analysis of antecedents and consequences.