Research Roundup

New Study Shows Married Men Do Less Housework than Live-In Boyfriends

The age-old stereotype that women do more housework than men has received more credibility with a study cowritten by Mason sociologist Shannon Davis, and Theodore Greenstein and Jennifer Gerteisen Marks of North Carolina State University. The study of more than 17,000 people in 28 countries found that married men report doing less housework than men who are live-in boyfriends.

According to Davis, the key finding of the study suggests that the institution of marriage changes the division of labor. Couples with an egalitarian view on gender—seeing men and women as equal—are more likely to divide the household chores equally. In married relationships, even if an egalitarian viewpoint is present, men still report doing less housework than their wives.

The study was published in the September 2007 Journal of Family Issues.

Center Studies Cost of Commuter Travel Time

What would a shorter commute to work be worth to you? Director Stephen Fuller and Deputy Director John McClain of the Center for Regional Analysis (CRA) conducted a study of Northern Virginia commuters in summer 2006 that looked at this question.

CRA administered two surveys. One went to workers in the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area about 60 miles south of Washington, D.C., who commute north to the District and other areas inside the Beltway. A second survey was directed at commuters who reside in Prince William and southern Fairfax counties and commute to Washington and the close-in suburbs. Nearly 1,400 commuters responded to the two surveys.

Perhaps not surprisingly for those who have endured lengthy commutes, most of the respondents who commute from Prince William and southern Fairfax counties to Washington or the inner suburbs indicated a willingness to take a salary cut in exchange for a shorter commute. Eighty-three percent of those workers also said they would be willing to consider a job in the Fredericksburg region. Those commuters who live in Fredericksburg and travel more than an hour each way said they would be willing to forgo a significant amount of salary in exchange for a shorter commute to work. Sixty-two percent indicated they would be willing to reduce their annual salary by $5,000 or more for a 30-minute shorter commute.

Economists Find Out-of-Town Travelers Targeted More Often for Speeding

When you head out of state for your road trip this summer, make sure to go easy on the gas. A new study by economics professor Thomas Stratmann and PhD candidate Michael Makowsky reveals that where you live versus where you get pulled over for speeding can increase your chances of getting a ticket—and increase the cost of that ticket.

The study, “Political Economy at Any Speed: What Determines Traffic Citations?” also shows that your race and gender may determine how likely it is that you will receive a traffic violation.

The economists conducted a study of traffic stops in Massachusetts from April and May 2001. Their paper proves what many have suspected for years:

• Out-of-town visitors have a 51 percent chance of receiving a citation when pulled over, compared with 30 percent for local drivers.
• The farther a driver lives from the courthouse where the ticket could be challenged, the more likely it is that they will be ticketed. Also, the fines will likely be higher.
• Local police officers are more likely to issue a ticket when citizens vote down property tax increases.
• Police officers are less likely to issue a ticket in towns that depend on tourism revenue.