Getting Under Each Other’s Skin: Perceived Division of Housework and Fairness Predict Neuroendocrine and Subjective Responses to Marital Conflict

We examined division of housework and well-being in newlyweds. Spouses showed more exaggerated cortisol reactivity when doing a larger (v. smaller) share of female-gendered housework. If they perceived higher fairness in division of housework when doing a larger share of female-gendered housework, they were less depressed and better adjusted dyadically.