Abstract
The present study uses panel data models to control unobserved characteristics and to investigate how the presence of spouses
in interviews influences reports regarding housework and earnings contributions. Both husbands and wives relatively overreport
their housework contributions but do not overreport their earnings contributions. The amount of time spent doing housework
lacks a precise measure and involves more subjective estimates than earnings reports. It is argued that the ambiguity of the
housework contribution mitigates the guilt felt by overreporting the housework contribution. In addition, without controlling
for unobserved characteristics, OLS models overstate the influence of the presence of spouses in the interviews.
in interviews influences reports regarding housework and earnings contributions. Both husbands and wives relatively overreport
their housework contributions but do not overreport their earnings contributions. The amount of time spent doing housework
lacks a precise measure and involves more subjective estimates than earnings reports. It is argued that the ambiguity of the
housework contribution mitigates the guilt felt by overreporting the housework contribution. In addition, without controlling
for unobserved characteristics, OLS models overstate the influence of the presence of spouses in the interviews.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s11205-012-0029-5
- Authors
- Hung-Lin Tao, Department of Economics, Soochow University, 56, Kuei-Yang St., Sec. 1, Taipei, 100 Taiwan
- Journal Social Indicators Research
- Online ISSN 1573-0921
- Print ISSN 0303-8300