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When Parents Decide: Gender Differences in Competitiveness

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  • Jonas Tungodden
  • Alexander Willén

Abstract

Parents make important choices for their children in many areas of life, yet the empirical literature on this topic is scarce. We study parents’ competitiveness choices for their children by combining two large-scale artifactual field experiments with high-quality longitudinal administrative data. We document three main sets of findings. First, parents choose more competition for their sons than daughters. Second, this gender difference can largely be explained by parents’ beliefs about their children’s competitiveness preferences. Third, parents’ choices predict children’s later-in-life educational outcomes. Taken together, these findings provide novel evidence on the role of parents in shaping children’s long-term outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Tungodden & Alexander Willén, 2023. "When Parents Decide: Gender Differences in Competitiveness," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(3), pages 751-801.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/721801
    DOI: 10.1086/721801
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    Cited by:

    1. Pedro Carneiro & Kjell Salvanes & Barton Willage & Alexander Willén, 2023. "Childhood Shocks Across Ages and Human Capital Formation," Working Papers 2023-018, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    2. Bobae Hong & Kichang Kim & Yuxin Su, 2024. "The Intergenerational Transmission of Risk Preferences: Evidence from Field Experiments in China and Korea," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 151-173, March.
    3. Sund, Oda Kristine Storstad, 2023. "Unleveling the Playing Field? Experimental Evidence on Parents’ Willingness to Give Their Child an Advantage," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 21/2023, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    4. Carneiro, Pedro & Salvanes, Kjell G. & Willage, Barton & Willén, Alexander, 2022. "The Timing of Parental Job Displacement, Child Development and Family Adjustment," IZA Discussion Papers 15630, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Lucia Corno & Michela Carlana, 2022. "Shaping gender-stereotypical beliefs: the role of parents and peers," IFS Working Papers W22/52, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    6. Ortiz-Merchan, Silvia & Lee-Ocampo, Maria & Cuéllar-Harker, Sebastián & Bolívar-Bernal, Maria F. & Barriga, Diana & Hernandez-Muñoz, David & Villasmil, Alexander & Mantilla, Cesar, 2023. "Don't leave your kid unattended? Sex differences in children's competitiveness in presence of their guardian," OSF Preprints m24yh, Center for Open Science.
    7. Hirshman, Samuel D. & Willén, Alexander, 2022. "Does Increasing Risk Widen Gender Gaps?," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 20/2022, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.
    8. Willén, Alexander & Willage, Barton & Riise, Julie, 2022. "Employment Protection and Child Development," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 19/2022, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.

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