The Cognitive Housework Inventory: Developing Survey Questions to Measure the Division of Cognitive Housework

Housework is unequally shared in different-gender couples, leading to negative consequences for women and lowering couples’ relationship quality. Although qualitative research identifies cognitive housework as an important type of household labor, we lack validated measures of cognitive housework to use in survey settings, barring quantitative research on its division in broader populations and its effects on household members. We use an open-ended survey and cognitive interviews to develop the Cognitive Housework Inventory (CHI), a seven-item survey instrument to measure the division of cognitive housework among partnered individuals. We then validate the CHI using data from an online survey, along with pairwise correlations, exploratory factor analysis, and bivariate analyses by gender. Regression analyses estimating its associations with stress, burnout, and relationship satisfaction demonstrate how to use the CHI in empirical settings. Results indicate the CHI is a valid and parsimonious instrument that can be incorporated into larger surveys to ultimately generate additional quantitative data on the distribution of housework.