• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate (1) the relationship between gender-role attitude and psychological well-being related to the division of household labor and (2) the effect of congruency between gender-role attitude and the division of household labor on psychological well-being for the elderly. In this study, independent variable is gender-role attitude, mediating variable is the division of household labor and dependent variable is psychological well-being. Psychological well-being consists of depression and happiness. The hypotheses of this study are as follows: 1) Gender-role attitude affects psychological well-being of the elderly. The more egalitarian gender-role attitude, the higher degree of psychological well-being, whereas the more traditional gender-role attitude, the lower degree of psychological well-being. 2) The division of household labor influences psychological well-being of the elderly. The higher degree of division of household labor is likely to show the higher degree of psychological well-being. 3) The congruency between gender-role attitude and the division of household labor affects psychological well-being. As the relationship between gender-role attitude and the division of household labor is more congruent. psychological well-being increases. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1) There is no relation between gender-role attitude and psychological well-being for the elderly. 2) The division of household labor affects psychological well-being for husband. The higher degree of division of household labor, the higher degree of psychological well-being. The result shows that husbands are involved in household labor involuntarily. 3) Congruency between gender-role attitude and the division of household labor affects psychological well-being. As the relationship between gender-role attitude and the division of household labor is more congruent, the degree of depression decreases. 4) Wives participate in most of household labor. Gender segregation in household labor is found in elderly family. 5) Health, income, network of children or sibling, and community network affect psychological well-being. The healthier, higher income and stronger network are likely to show the higher degree of psychological well-being.