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Are Men Really More Overconfident than Women? - A Natural Field Experiment on Exam Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Johansson Stenman, Olof

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

  • Nordblom, Katarina

    (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)

Abstract

This paper reports from a simple natural field experiment based on an eco-nomics exam. Part of the exam consisted of 30 multiple choice questions, where the students obtained 1 point per correct answer while 1 point was deducted for each in-correct answer. We find no significant gender differences in overconfidence, irrespec-tive of how we measure it, i.e., whether we regard the number of questions answered, the number of questions answered incorrectly or the answering patterns for the most difficult questions. Hence, the data provides no support for the frequently proposed hypothesis that men are more overconfident than women.

Suggested Citation

  • Johansson Stenman, Olof & Nordblom, Katarina, 2010. "Are Men Really More Overconfident than Women? - A Natural Field Experiment on Exam Behavior," Working Papers in Economics 461, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0461
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/23021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ludwig, Sandra & Fellner-Röhling, Gerlinde & Thoma, Carmen, 2017. "Do women have more shame than men? An experiment on self-assessment and the shame of overestimating oneself," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 31-46.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    overconfidence; gender differences; exam behavior; field experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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