Methodology note
Methodology of the Mental load test questionnaire
This page describes where the items come from, how the score is computed and the limits of this questionnaire. It is public and asks for no sign-up.
1Where the items come from
The items are written for Brain Quiz from the published literature in the field.
The 24 items in this questionnaire were written for Brain Quiz, drawing on the literature in the sociology of domestic work and in occupational psychology. No published scale is reproduced. The mental load is not a construct measured by any single reference instrument: the cognitive household labor scales published so far are recent and were built on specific populations. The references below document the field explored, they are not the source of the items.
2How the score is computed
Each answer is worth 0 to 4 points, multiplied by the weight of the question, which ranges from 1 to 3. The raw score is rescaled to 100, then placed in one of the four bands. The four axes are computed separately, as a percentage of the maximum reachable on the items of that axis. An unanswered question is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator. On the recovery axis the items are reversed: the more time you have for yourself, the lower the measured load. Weights and band thresholds were set by the Brain Quiz editorial team, they come from no population calibration.
2.1The reading axes
Each item feeds a single axis. Each axis is computed as a percentage of the maximum reachable on its own items.
| Reading axis | Items |
|---|---|
| Household load | 6 |
| Work load | 6 |
| Relational load | 6 |
| Recovery and switching off | 6 |
2.2The reading bands
The score brought back to 100 falls into one of these bands. The bounds are set by the editorial team, and shown here.
| Band | Range out of 100 | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Little mental load over the period | 0 to 29 | nonea |
| Mental load present, still manageable | 30 to 54 | conversation suggestedb |
| High mental load | 55 to 74 | conversation suggestedb |
| Very high mental load and limited recovery | 75 to 100 | reinforced guidancec |
- No guidance message comes with this band.
- The result mentions that a conversation with a professional can help.
- The result shows a guidance message towards a health professional.
3Limits of the result
This questionnaire does not measure how tasks are actually divided in a home or in a team: it only collects one person's point of view. It does not tell a passing overload apart from a situation that has lasted for years. It says nothing about anyone's responsibility. It can neither establish nor rule out a condition, and it does not replace the opinion of a health professional.
4References
Each entry carries its authors, year, title, journal and identifier.
- Haicault, M. (1984). La gestion ordinaire de la vie en deux. Sociologie du travail, 26(3), 268-277. https://www.persee.fr/doc/sotra_0038-0296_1984_num_26_3_2072 opens in a new tab ↑
- Daminger, A. (2019). The Cognitive Dimension of Household Labor. American Sociological Review, 84(4), 609-633. doi:10.1177/0003122419859007 opens in a new tab ↑
- Ciciolla, L., & Luthar, S. S. (2019). Invisible Household Labor and Ramifications for Adjustment: Mothers as Captains of Households. Sex Roles, 81(7-8), 467-486. doi:10.1007/s11199-018-1001-x opens in a new tab ↑
- Dean, L., Churchill, B., & Ruppanner, L. (2022). The mental load: building a deeper theoretical understanding of how cognitive and emotional labor overload women and mothers. Community, Work & Family, 25(1), 13-29. doi:10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813 opens in a new tab ↑
- Aviv, E., Waizman, Y., Kim, E., Liu, J., Rodsky, E., & Saxbe, D. (2024). Cognitive household labor: gender disparities and consequences for maternal mental health and wellbeing. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 28(1), 5-14. doi:10.1007/s00737-024-01490-w opens in a new tab ↑