To date, the body of research has found mixed results about causation but agree that there is a correlation between perception of fairness and marital quality. The division of household tasks, however, is very personal with important implications for the family. In the literature, there are many possible explanatory models for the inequity of the division of housework. These models also attempt to explain the degree of satisfaction with the division of household labor and its effects on marital quality. Exchange and Equity Theories Exchange theory says that individuals attempt to maximize their rewards and minimize their costs in social relationships.
Equity theory is similar.
This would lead one to believe that when women do the most housework, men would be dissatisfied with the division of labor as well. This theory would suggest that the relationship between satisfaction with the division of labor and marital quality is strongest during periods when the household workload is rather large, such as the early child rearing years. In other words, an individual is likely to be dissatisfied with the division of household labor when perceptions of fairness do not match up with the individual's comparative referent. This theory appears to explain the causes and results of dissatisfaction with the division of labor well. Women's work consists primarily of routine tasks such as cleaning house, washing dishes, laundry, and cooking.