Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
07:53
Group Synchronization During Collaborative Drawing Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: August 5, 2022
Intra-household work time synchronization: Togetherness or material benefits?
Chris van Klaveren1, Henriette Maassen van den Brink
1Department of Economics and Econometrics, University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, Amsterdam, 1018 WB The Netherlands.
Social Indicators Research
|January 12, 2010
Summary
Partners coordinate work schedules to maximize joint leisure time. This coordination leads to more synchronized work hours, with household children impacting synchronization levels.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Economics
- Family Studies
Background:
- Couples often seek to maximize shared leisure time.
- Work schedule coordination is a key factor in achieving joint leisure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if partners coordinate work schedules for increased joint leisure.
- To determine factors influencing work time synchronization.
- To assess evidence for 'togetherness' preferences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel matching procedure to control for constraints and selection effects.
- Analyzed work schedule coordination and synchronization patterns.
- Examined the impact of household composition, specifically children, on synchronization.
Main Results:
- Coordination demonstrably increases work hour synchronization between partners.
- The presence of children significantly reduces work time synchronization.
- Partners actively coordinate schedules, indicating a preference for joint leisure.
Conclusions:
- Work schedule coordination is a deliberate strategy to enhance joint leisure time.
- Family structure, particularly the presence of children, influences synchronization.
- Findings support the hypothesis of 'togetherness' preferences driving partner coordination.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Relationship Growth
Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...
01:12Work of a Couple Moment
Mechanical engineering involves the study of motion, energy, and force, and is concerned with designing, manufacturing, and maintaining mechanical systems. One important concept in this field is the couple moment, produced by two equal and opposite forces acting at two points in a rigid body separated by a certain distance.
When the rigid body undergoes a differential displacement due to a couple, its motion can be divided into two parts: equal translation of the two points to their final...
When the rigid body undergoes a differential displacement due to a couple, its motion can be divided into two parts: equal translation of the two points to their final...
02:30Quantifying Work
As a system undergoes a change, its internal energy can change, and energy can be transferred from the system to the surroundings, or from the surroundings to the system.
01:26Equity Theory
Equity theory explains how our sense of fairness influences the dynamics of close relationships. Rooted in social psychology, the theory posits that individuals evaluate fairness by comparing the ratio of their contributions to the rewards they receive. Relationship satisfaction is highest when these ratios are perceived as balanced between partners, promoting mutual reciprocity and a sense of justice.Equity vs. Equality in RelationshipsEquity is distinct from equality. Fairness does not...
01:20Virtual Work
The principle of virtual work states that if a body is in static and dynamic equilibrium, then the sum of all the virtual work done by all external forces and couple moments for any given virtual displacement must be zero.
In static equilibrium, a body can experience an imaginary or virtual movement, such as displacement or rotation. The virtual work done by a force is equal to the dot product of force and virtual displacement in the direction of the force. When it comes to virtually rotating a...
In static equilibrium, a body can experience an imaginary or virtual movement, such as displacement or rotation. The virtual work done by a force is equal to the dot product of force and virtual displacement in the direction of the force. When it comes to virtually rotating a...
00:57Inclusive Fitness
Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.