Perceptions of a housespouse: The effects of sex, economic productivity, and subject background variables

Two studies were performed investigating college students’ attitudes toward male and female housespouses whose primary duties were child-care and major household tasks and whose economic contributions were earnings from writing. Introductory psychology students read a descriptive paragraph and then evaluated the housespouse on semantic differential scales. In addition, the following subject background variables were investigated: sex role typing in Experiment 1; and authoritarianism, parental atypical household duties, and maternal employment history in Experiment 2. Subject impressions were less positive in describing male homemakers, and homemakers of either sex were viewed more positively when more successfully pursuing activities beyond childcare and housekeeping. Androgynous subjects and subjects whose mothers had been employed evaluated housespouses more positively than other subjects. Housespouse age, subject sex, subject authoritarianism, and atypical parental duties were not significantly related to students’ perceptions of housespouses.