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Perception matters: The role of task gender stereotype on confidence and tournament selection

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  • Halladay, Brianna
  • Landsman, Rachel

Abstract

Women avoid competition even when they can benefit from potential rewards. It may be that a gender difference in beliefs about future performance drives this gap. Using a laboratory experiment, we analyze differences in tournament entry using a male stereotyped task and a novel female stereotyped task. We provide robust evidence supporting the gender stereotypes of the task and find that while women enter the tournament significantly less than men under the male stereotyped task, this gender gap in willingness to compete closes and reverses under the female stereotyped task. This suggests the effect of competitiveness on gender is not exclusively about a difference in preference for competition, but may be consistent with a difference in beliefs about future performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Halladay, Brianna & Landsman, Rachel, 2022. "Perception matters: The role of task gender stereotype on confidence and tournament selection," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 35-43.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:199:y:2022:i:c:p:35-43
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.04.018
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Gomez-Ruiz, Marcela & Cervini-Plá, María & Ramos, Xavier, 2024. "Do Women Fare Worse When Men Are Around? Quasi-Experimental Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 16782, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Bernd Frick & Clarissa Laura Maria Spiess Bru & Daniel Kaimann, 2023. "Are Women (Really) More Lenient? Gender Differences in Expert Evaluations," Working Papers Dissertations 106, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender differences; Stereotypes; Competition; Confidence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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