本論文主要目的在探討過去家事分工實証研究中，所面對變項操作定義的問題，並針對這些問題提出一些具體的建議與看法，以為未來研究參考。 一般實証研究模型中包括自變項及依變項兩部分，而任一部分變項的測量都可能影響到研究的結果，本論文將針對這兩部分，就過去家事分工研究中實際的操作情形，分別加以說明及評論。在自變項方面，最常用來解釋家事分工的理論色括時間可利用論( time availability )、角色理論( role ideology )、及資源論 ( resources )等三種，然而由於每位研究者操作這些理論的工具不同，以致研究結果產生頗大差異。在依變項方面，家事分工的測量也因研究者採用方式為相對分配法( relative distribution )或絕對分配法( absolute time-use )而影響了研究結果。故本論文除了分析過去相關研究在變項操作上的缺失外，並在方法上及測量上提出若干修正，以改進家事分工研究中變項操作的缺失。

The purposes of this study are to investigate some operational problems in the past study of the housework allocation, and to develop a better measurement approach and methodology for future research. An experimental research usually includes two parts: dependent variables and independent variables. The operational measurement of either one can affect the results. Thus, in this paper, the operational problems will be described and critiqued in these two parts, based on the past research of housework allocations. Independent variables are mainly developed from three perspective: time availability, role ideology, and resources. However, the different operations and methodologies of these three perspectives can be strongly related to totally different results, thus researchers still can not give a consistent conclusion. In addition, among dependent variables, housework allocations used by relative distribution measurement or by absolute time-use measurement can also cause different results. Therefore, in this paper, not only the operational and methodological problems are reviewed, but also a better operational measurement and methodologies are suggested, so that the limitation of the study of housework allocations will be improved.