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71% of household ‘brain work’ falls on mothers, even when fathers think they share equally
BATH, United Kingdom — Ever wonder why mom seems to have a mental encyclopedia of everyone’s schedules, preferences, and needs while dad might struggle to remember the pediatrician’s name? It’s not just your family — it’s a documented phenomenon. New research examining a diverse sample of American parents has mapped out this “mental load” disparity, showing how cognitive labor in families follows surprisingly predictable gender patterns.
The study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family quantifies what many mothers have long suspected: they’re carrying an outsized share of what researchers call the “cognitive household labor” or “mental load” of running a family. Conducted by researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne, the paper concludes that mothers handle a whopping 71% of all household mental load tasks, while fathers manage just 45%.
“This kind of work is often unseen, but it matters,” explains Dr. Ana Catalano Weeks, a political scientist from the University of Bath, in a statement. “It can lead to stress, burnout and even impact women’s careers. In many cases, resentment can build, creating strain between couples.”
The researchers examined data from 3,000 American parents, ensuring their sample represented a diverse cross-section of U.S. families including different ages, races/ethnicities, education levels, and family structures. Importantly, the study included LGBTQ+ parents and single parents, making its findings relevant to a broad spectrum of modern families. Rather than focusing only on traditional two-parent heterosexual households, this inclusive approach provides insights into how cognitive labor functions across different family configurations.
The study identified two distinct categories of cognitive labor: “Daily” tasks focused on immediate family wellbeing and “Episodic” tasks related to maintenance and finances. The division of these tasks reveals a striking gender pattern that mirrors traditional roles.
Mothers shoulder 79% of “Daily” cognitive tasks — more than twice what fathers do (37%). These include the constant mental tracking of children’s schedules, meal planning, and monitoring household supplies. Meanwhile, fathers take on more “Episodic” mental work (65%) though mothers still handle a significant portion (53%) of these tasks as well.
This overlap in Episodic tasks points to an interesting phenomenon: both parents often duplicate certain types of mental work. For instance, both mothers (61%) and fathers (57%) report being primarily responsible for tracking household expenses, traditionally seen as the “father’s domain.” This suggests that while fathers may be more engaged in certain areas, mothers often maintain oversight of these tasks as well, potentially leading to redundant mental work.
The impact of this imbalanced mental load extends beyond family life into careers. According to Gallup data cited in relation to this research, working mothers are twice as likely as fathers to consider reducing their hours or leaving their jobs due to parental responsibilities. This suggests that the disproportionate mental load at home may be influencing critical career decisions for women.
One of the study’s most revealing findings concerns single parents. Both single mothers and single fathers tend to handle all types of cognitive labor equally, with single fathers taking on significantly more mental work compared to partnered fathers. This finding challenges assumptions about gendered capabilities for household management, suggesting that when necessary, parents of any gender can effectively manage all aspects of household cognitive labor.
The research also points to a perception gap between parents. When asked to estimate their overall share of household cognitive labor, both parents tended to overestimate their contributions compared to when they reported task by task. However, fathers showed a greater tendency to overestimate their share and were more likely to view household mental labor as equally shared – a perspective mothers typically disagreed with.
“Going forward, the challenge for governments and employers who care about attracting the top talent is how to create policies that are supportive of both mothers and fathers sharing the unpaid work at home. One policy that comes to mind is well-paid, gender-neutral parental leave – which both the U.K. and U.S. are way behind on compared to the rest of Europe,” says Dr. Catalano Weeks, pointing to policy solutions that could help address this imbalance.
As families navigate the holiday season with its heightened mental load, the researchers encourage having open conversations about sharing these responsibilities more equitably. After all, the best gift some mothers might receive this year isn’t wrapped under the tree: it’s the relief of sharing the mental load that’s been weighing on their minds all year long.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers surveyed 3,000 American parents with children under 18, ensuring the sample represented the U.S. parent population in terms of age, race/ethnicity, gender, and education. They presented participants with 21 different cognitive tasks across seven categories: cleaning, scheduling, childcare, maintenance, finances, social relationships, and food. Parents indicated who typically handled each task: mostly themselves, mostly their partner, shared equally, or someone else. The researchers then used statistical analyses to identify patterns in how these tasks clustered together and how they were distributed between parents.
The study’s inclusive approach – examining diverse family structures including LGBTQ+ and single-parent households – provides a more comprehensive understanding of how cognitive labor functions across different family configurations. This breadth makes the findings particularly valuable for developing policies and support systems that can benefit all types of families.
Key Results
The analysis revealed two distinct types of cognitive labor. Daily tasks (like tracking groceries and planning activities) were predominantly handled by mothers, while Episodic tasks (like managing finances and home maintenance) were more often managed by fathers. Single parents tended to handle all types of cognitive labor equally. Both parents overestimated their total contributions when asked generally versus when reporting task by task, with fathers overestimating more significantly.
Study Limitations
The study relied on individual parents’ self-reporting rather than couple-level data, meaning researchers couldn’t directly compare partners’ perspectives. It captured a single point in time rather than tracking changes over time. The measures focused on cognitive household labor but didn’t capture the full range of mental load work or emotional labor. The study also didn’t deeply explore how different demographic factors might influence the distribution of cognitive labor.
Discussion & Takeaways
This research suggests that cognitive labor, like physical housework, serves as another way parents “do gender” in their relationships. The finding that single parents handle all types of cognitive labor indicates these patterns aren’t innate but emerge from relationship dynamics. The study also highlights how the invisible nature of cognitive labor can lead to mismatched perceptions between partners about who’s doing what, potentially contributing to relationship strain.
Funding & Disclosures
The research was supported by the Carrie Chapman Catt Prize, Iowa State University, Bath’s Institute for Policy Research, the Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies at the University of Bath, and the Australian Research Council grant FT220100493.
the paper concludes that mothers handle a “whopping 71% of all household mental load tasks, while fathers manage just 45%.”
“Meanwhile, fathers take on more “Episodic” mental work (65%) though mothers still handle a significant portion (53%) of these tasks as well.”
Was this ‘study’ peer reviewed? Was this article proof read?