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Cognitive ability, stereotypes and gender segregation in the workplace

Author

Listed:
  • Diego Lubian

    (Dept. Economics, University of Verona)

  • Anna Untertrifaller

    (Dept. of Economics, University of Verona)

Abstract

We carried out a survey among undergraduate students to investigate the role of gender stereotyping in the perception of female work and its consequences in terms of wage discrimination. Traditional female-oriented and male-oriented jobs are evaluated in terms of compensatory factors related to objective job's characteristics and wages are then assigned to jobholders. We find that males assign lower wages to jobs assigned to women while women do not discriminate but, in general, assign lower wages. Further, we find that even though males with high scores in a cognitive reflection test attribute, in general, higher wages they still discriminate women, Finally, we decompose the wage differential using the classical Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition and find that the wage gap can not be explained by differences in the productive characteristics of the workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Diego Lubian & Anna Untertrifaller, 2014. "Cognitive ability, stereotypes and gender segregation in the workplace," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(2), pages 1268-1282.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-14-00091
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender wage gap; Gender stereotypes; Cognitive reflection test;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C0 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - General
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination

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