Who shoulders the mental work? Evidence on the distribution of mental work in different-sex couples in Germany

Abstract

This study investigates the gendered distribution of mental work—i.e., the invisible planning and organizing of household and childcare tasks—among coupled individuals in Germany. Analyzing survey data from a large-scale national probability sample (N=2,675), we find that women disproportionately shoulder the mental work, particularly when it comes to managing daily household and family responsibilities. Men report responsibility for a limited set of nonroutine tasks. Perceptions of task division also diverge significantly by gender: While women believe that they are primarily or entirely responsible for planning and organizing most of family and household tasks, men tend to believe that mental work is shared equally between partners. Additionally, women’s mental work is higher when they have children and lower when they pursue more hours in paid employment—patterns not mirrored among men. However, across both genders, more egalitarian attitudes are associated with perceptions of a more equal distribution. By providing quantitative evidence on a domain often addressed qualitatively, this study highlights the persistent gender inequalities embedded in the invisible management of household and childcare work.