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Gender Differences in Economics Seminars

Author

Listed:
  • Pascaline Dupas
  • Amy Handlan
  • Alicia Sasser Modestino
  • Muriel Niederle
  • Mateo Seré
  • Haoyu Sheng
  • Justin Wolfers
  • Seminar Dynamics Collective

Abstract

We assess whether men and women are treated differently when presenting their economics research. We collected data across thousands of seminars, job market talks, and conference presentations, leveraging human judgment and audio-processing algorithms to measure the number, tone, and type of interruptions. Within a seminar series, women are interrupted more than men. This holds when controlling for characteristics of the presenter, paper, and audience. Interruptions that are negative in tenor or tone or cut off the presenter mid-sentence increase for women presenters. We also find greater engagement of female audience members with female presenters, suggesting a potential role model effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascaline Dupas & Amy Handlan & Alicia Sasser Modestino & Muriel Niederle & Mateo Seré & Haoyu Sheng & Justin Wolfers & Seminar Dynamics Collective, 2026. "Gender Differences in Economics Seminars," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 116(2), pages 749-789, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:116:y:2026:i:2:p:749-89
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20241718
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Tho Pham & Oleksandr Talavera, 2023. "The Voice of Monetary Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(2), pages 548-584, February.
    2. Anusha Chari & Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, 2017. "Gender representation in economics across topics and time: evidence from the NBER," Staff Reports 825, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    3. Knox, Dean & Lucas, Christopher, 2021. "A Dynamic Model of Speech for the Social Sciences," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 115(2), pages 649-666, May.
    4. Mateo Seré, 2023. "Don´t Stop Me Now: Gender Attitudes in Academic Seminars Through Machine Learning," Working Papers 2309, Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy, University of Antwerp.
    5. Pascaline Dupas & Alicia Sasser Modestino & Muriel Niederle & Justin Wolfers & The Seminar Dynamics Collective, 2021. "Gender and the Dynamics of Economics Seminars," NBER Working Papers 28494, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Anusha Chari & Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, 2017. "Gender Representation in Economics Across Topics and Time: Evidence from the NBER Summer Institute," NBER Working Papers 23953, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Alexopoulos, Michelle & Han, Xinfen & Kryvtsov, Oleksiy & Zhang, Xu, 2024. "More than words: Fed Chairs’ communication during congressional testimonies," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Belinda Archibong, 2026. "Comment on "Global Stratification Economics (GSE): A Primer–Definitions and Research Implications"," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Race and Stratification, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Sofie Cairo & Ria Ivandić & Anne Sophie Lassen & Valentina Tartari, 2026. "Parenthood and the Career Ladder: Evidence from Academia," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0092, Berlin School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • C45 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Neural Networks and Related Topics
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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