Cognitive housework and Parents' relationship satisfaction

IF 3.4 1区社会学 Q1 FAMILY STUDIES

Journal of Marriage and Family Pub Date : 2025-02-13 DOI:10.1111/jomf.13082

Richard J. Petts, Daniel L. Carlson, Jaclyn S. Wong

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

This study examines the association between the division of cognitive housework and parents' relationship satisfaction.

Background

Equity theory suggests that factors which either objectively (i.e., equal sharing) or subjectively (i.e., feeling appreciated) enhance partners' feelings of mutual benefit lead to greater relationship satisfaction. From an equity perspective, cognitive labor may be especially consequential for relationship satisfaction not only because it is boundless, burdensome work but also because it is invisible and often unappreciated. Drawing on equity theory, we argue that relationship satisfaction is highest when cognitive labor is equally shared.

Method

We use cross-sectional data on different-gender partnered US parents from Wave 5 of the Study on US Parents' Divisions of Labor During COVID-19 (SPDLC) and OLS regression to estimate associations between the division of cognitive housework and relationship satisfaction separately for mothers and fathers.

Results

Equal divisions of cognitive housework are associated with the highest levels of relationship satisfaction for both mothers and fathers. This association is consistent across various measures and dimensions of cognitive housework, with few exceptions.

Conclusion

Relationship satisfaction is highest when partners equally share cognitive housework, as sharing this labor may reduce burdens on one parent as well as increase the visibility and value of this often hidden form of domestic labor.

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认知家务劳动与父母关系满意度

目的探讨认知家务分工与父母关系满意度的关系。公平理论认为，客观上（即平等分享）或主观上（即感到被欣赏）增强伴侣互惠感的因素会导致更高的关系满意度。从公平的角度来看，认知劳动可能对关系满意度特别重要，不仅因为它是无限的，繁重的工作，而且因为它是无形的，经常不受重视。根据公平理论，我们认为当认知劳动被平等分享时，关系满意度最高。方法采用“新冠肺炎期间美国父母分工研究”（SPDLC）第5期美国不同性别伴侣父母的横断面数据和OLS回归，分别估计母亲和父亲的认知家务分工与关系满意度之间的关联。结果：父母对家务劳动的认知程度相同，对夫妻关系的满意度最高。这种关联在认知家务的各种测量和维度上是一致的，几乎没有例外。结论：当夫妻双方平等分担认知家务时，关系满意度最高，因为分担家务劳动可以减轻一方的负担，并增加这种往往隐藏的家务劳动的可见性和价值。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Marriage and Family Multiple-

CiteScore

12.20

自引率

6.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： For more than 70 years, Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF) has been a leading research journal in the family field. JMF features original research and theory, research interpretation and reviews, and critical discussion concerning all aspects of marriage, other forms of close relationships, and families.In 2009, an institutional subscription to Journal of Marriage and Family includes a subscription to Family Relations and Journal of Family Theory & Review.