Men's Provider-Role Attitudes: Implications for Household Work and Marital Satisfaction

The aim of the current investigation was to link men's provider-role attitudes with their involvement in household tasks. This study examines not only the objective division of work both inside and outside of the home, but also emphasizes the importance of examining the cognitions and affect that men attach to their work and family roles. It was proposed that men holding more traditional attitudes about their duty to provide economically for the family would perform fewer household tasks than men with more egalitarian attitudes. The study involved 43 dual-earner couples who participated in home interviews and in a series of telephone interviews. Results revealed that men's provider-role attitudes were related to their involvement in family work. Furthermore, the congruence of role beliefs and the enactment of role behaviors within the home were related to higher levels of marital satisfaction for men.