This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Grades, gender, and encouragement: A regression discontinuity analysis

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Owen, Ann L.

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

This study employs a regression discontinuity design in order to provide direct evidence on the effects of grades earned in economics principles classes on the decision to major in economics and finds a differential effect for male and female students. Specifically, for female students, receiving an “A” for a final grade in the first economics class is associated with a meaningful increase in the probability of majoring in economics, even after controlling for the numerical grade earned in the class. This suggests that, for female students, the feedback that is embedded in the course letter grade has an encouragement effect on their decision to study economics further. It finds no evidence of a similar effect for male students.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/11586/
File Format:
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 11586.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Oct 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:11586

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Schackstr. 4, D-80539 Munich, Germany
Phone: +49-(0)89-2180-2219
Fax: +49-(0)89-2180-3900
Web page: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Ekkehart Schlicht).

Related research
Keywords: economics majors; grades; gender; regression discontinuity;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Charles Ballard & Marianne Johnson, 2005. "Gender, Expectations, and Grades in Introductory Microeconomics at a US University," Feminist Economics, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 95-122, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Austin Nichols, 2007. "RD: Stata module for regression discontinuity estimation," Statistical Software Components S456888, Boston College Department of Economics, revised 08 Oct 2008. [Downloadable!]
  3. Elizabeth J. Jensen & Ann L. Owen, 2000. "Why Are Women Such Reluctant Economists? Evidence from Liberal Arts Colleges," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 466-470, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. John F. Chizmar, 2000. "A Discrete-Time Hazard Analysis of the Role of Gender in Persistence in the Economics Major," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 31(2), pages 107-118. [Downloadable!]
  5. Kevin N. Rask & Elizabeth M. Bailey, 2002. "Are Faculty Role Models? Evidence from Major Choice in an Undergraduate Institution," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 33(2), pages 99-124. [Downloadable!]
  6. Austin Nichols, 2007. "Causal inference with observational data," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(4), pages 507-541, December. [Downloadable!]
  7. Imbens, Guido W. & Lemieux, Thomas, 2008. "Regression discontinuity designs: A guide to practice," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 615-635, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? There are NEP reports in over 80 fields that deliver new research to your email.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-29.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.