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Gender Differences in Performance and Risk-taking among Children, Teenagers, and College Students: Evidence from Jeopardy!

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  • Jetter Michael

    (Department of Economics, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Western Australia6009, Australia)

  • Walker Jay K.

    (Department of Economics, Old Dominion University, 2048 Constant Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA)

Abstract

Studying Jeopardy! contestants in the US, we explore whether and when gender differences in performance in competitive settings and risk-taking emerge with age and by opponents’ gender. We identify no gender differences in winning episodes, responding, or responding correctly to clues. Male teenagers (but not children) wager substantially more than female teenagers, leading to the emergence of the gender gap, equivalent to a 7.3 percentage point difference. This gap persists for college students. Finally, male teenagers and college students wager substantially less when competing against females, whereas the gender of opponents does not influence the behavior of young female contestants.

Suggested Citation

  • Jetter Michael & Walker Jay K., 2020. "Gender Differences in Performance and Risk-taking among Children, Teenagers, and College Students: Evidence from Jeopardy!," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-24, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:20:y:2020:i:2:p:24:n:4
    DOI: 10.1515/bejeap-2019-0179
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    2. Jetter, Michael & Stockley, Kieran, 2021. "Gender Match and the Gender Gap in Venture Capital Financing: Evidence from Shark Tank," IZA Discussion Papers 14069, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender and competition; gender and risk taking; gender norms; gender of opponents;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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