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Gender Roles and the Gender Expectations Gap

Author

Listed:
  • Francesco D'Acunto

    (Carroll School of Management, Boston College)

  • Ulrike Malmendier

    (Department of Economics and Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley and NBER)

  • Michael Weber

    (University of Chicago - Booth School of Business and NBER)

Abstract

Expectations about macro-finance variables, such as ination, vary significantly across genders, even within the same household. We conjecture that traditional gender roles expose women and men to different economic signals in their daily lives, which in turn produce systematic variation in expectations. Using unique data on the contributions of men and women to household grocery chores, their resulting exposure to price signals, and their in ation expectations, we show that the gender expectations gap is tightly linked to participation in grocery shopping. We also document a gender gap in other economic expectations and discuss how it might affect economic choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesco D'Acunto & Ulrike Malmendier & Michael Weber, 2020. "Gender Roles and the Gender Expectations Gap," Working Papers 2020-11, Becker Friedman Institute for Research In Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bfi:wpaper:2020-11
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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