Abstract

Empirical studies cast doubts on the efficiency assumption made in standard economic models of householdbehavior. The allocation of time among men and women between market and household work is highly differentiatedby gender. In this paper we examine whether couples deviate from efficiency in household production, using anexperimental design. We compare the allocation of gendered vs. neutral domestic tasks. Our results show thatwomen in the household overspecialize in “feminine tasks” and men in “masculine tasks” compared to what theircomparative advantage would require, hence revealing the influence of gender roles and stereotypes on the couples’behavior.