The distribution of household labor: Comparing spouses' role orientation, ratings of satisfaction, and amount of discussion
Abstract
This study of 114 married couples investigated Role Orientation and how it related to satisfaction with the division of household labor. Husbands' and wives' Role Orientations were significantly different, with husbands being more traditional. Spouses Role Orientation scores were correlated. Husbands were more satisfied with the household division of labor. A wife's Role Orientation score was associated with her labor satisfaction, however, the husband's Role Orientation wasn't associated with his satisfaction. Couple's combined Role Orientations were related to their labor satisfaction, and as scores became more modern, couple satisfaction decreased. Therefore, the more modern a couple's household labor orientation, the lower their combined labor satisfaction scores; The amount of reported discussion on division of labor was not found to differ significantly between husbands and wives. The amount of discussion did not affect labor satisfaction ratings. The results are analyzed for their possible future research and clinical applicability.