Take a Load Off? Not for Mothers: Gender, Cognitive Labor, and the Limits of Time and Money

Abstract

Globally, women continue to bear a disproportionate share of unpaid household labor. Recent research highlights that gender disparities in cognitive labor-the "thinking work" required to anticipate and monitor household needs-are even more pronounced than in physical household labor. Traditional theories attribute these inequalities to time availability, relative resources, and gender norms. However, it remains unclear whether these frameworks apply equally to cognitive and physical household labor. This paper introduces a new theory of gendered cognitive stickiness to explain how the domestic mental load is distributed. We argue that cognitive labor's invisibility and lack of clear boundaries make it uniquely resistant to negotiation. Even women who successfully bargain their way out of physical chores remain disproportionately responsible for cognitive labor. Using a large-scale survey of 2,133 partnered, heterosexual U.S. parents, we find that while women's employment and earnings have reduced their physical household labor, these factors do not alleviate their cognitive household burden. Mothers perform nearly all of this work, regardless of their time or resources. Cognitive labor remains an "unbargainable burden" for women, exposing a hidden constraint that suggests progress toward gender equality in the home is even more incomplete than previously recognized.

Keywords: gender gap, household labor, mental load, parents