Gender norms play a crucial role in shaping the division of household labor. Yet, little attention has been given to how framing effects and gendered double standards influence perceptions of fairness in chore allocations. 

In this study, we embed an incentivized measure of normative expectations (Krupka and Weber, 2013) within a representative survey of the Italian population (N=1,501) to bridge two strands of literature: survey-based elicitation of attitudes and incentivized experimental measures of social appropriateness. Participants evaluate the social appropriateness of chore allocations in vignettes where partners’ labor supply, household division, and the gender of the proposer vary. 

We show that, when partners have the same working status, equal sharing of household chores is widely recognized as socially appropriate across generations. However, judgments of unequal allocations reveal the presence of a framing effect and a gender double standard among middle and older generations. In contrast, younger generations exhibit greater internalization of egalitarian norms, suggesting a genuine shift in attitudes. 

Finally, we find that perceived norms on the division of household labor, measured through normative expectations, are strongly associated with women’s labor market outcomes at the regional level. These findings highlight the cognitive biases sustaining gender inequality inside and outside the household. 

Keywords: Gender norms, Krupka&Weber elicitation method, Representative surveys, Domestic Chores, Framing effects, Double Standard. 

JEL Classification: A13; C90; D01; J16. 

Authors:

• Francesca Barigozzi 
  University of Bologna 
• Caterina Gaggini 
  Aarhus University 
• Natalia Montinari 
  University of Bologna