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Posted on Sat, Nov. 24, 2007

What matters most to women?

Frank Greve | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: November 22, 2007 08:18:30 AM

WASHINGTON — When researchers reported that sex was the most popular activity of the day among a large sample of employed Texas women, the rest of the story got lost in the headline.

Here's how the 909 women regarded other activities in their lives on that day.

(The number beside the ranking is the net of their positive and negative appraisals with intensity of feeling registered on 0 to 6 scale.)

  • Intimate relations — 4.83
  • Socializing after work — 4.15
  • Relaxing — 3.96
  • Dinner — 3.94
  • Lunch — 3.91
  • Exercising — 3.85
  • Praying/worship — 3.78
  • Socializing at work — 3.78
  • Watching TV — 3.65
  • Phone at home — 3.52
  • Napping — 3.35
  • Cooking — 3.27
  • Shopping — 3.23
  • Computer (non-work) — 3.22
  • Housework — 2.99
  • Child care — 2.99
  • Evening commute — 2.77
  • Working — 2.68
  • Morning commute — 2.09
    • Source: Daniel Kahneman, Alan Krueger, et al, cited in "Developments in the Measurement of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Winter 2006.

McClatchy Newspapers 2007