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Gender differences in competitiveness: Friends matter

Author

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  • Jørgensen, Lotte Kofoed
  • Piovesan, Marco
  • Willadsen, Helene

Abstract

We run an experiment with Danish school children (7-16 years old) to shed new light on gender differences in competitive behavior. Danish girls are not significantly less likely than boys to choose a competitive scheme when we control for individual performance, risk preferences, confidence, stereotypes, and interactions with the opposite gender. However, for the children who perform above average we find a gender gap of 11.8 percentage points. Our elicitation of the network of friends allows us to study the association between a child's and their friends’ competitiveness: for each (extra) friend that is competitive, girls choose to compete more often (+9.6 percentage points). The same is not true for boys. Finally, boys become better at making the correct decision with age, but girls avoid competition when they should choose it.

Suggested Citation

  • Jørgensen, Lotte Kofoed & Piovesan, Marco & Willadsen, Helene, 2022. "Gender differences in competitiveness: Friends matter," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:101:y:2022:i:c:s2214804322001264
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2022.101955
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    2. Thomas Buser & Hessel Oosterbeek, "undated". "The anatomy of competitiveness," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 23-031/I, Tinbergen Institute.
    3. Alfonso, Antonio & Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Jorrat, Diego & Lomas, Pablo & Prissé, Benjamin & Vasco, Mónica & Vázquez-De Francisco, María J., 2023. "The adventure of running experiments with teenagers," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    4. 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

    Competition; Gender; Stereotypes; Children; Experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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