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Male and Female Competitive Behavior: Experimental

Author

Listed:
  • Nabanita Datta Gupta

    (Danish National Institute of Social Research - Danish National Institute of Social Research)

  • Anders Poulsen

    (School of economics - UEA - University of East Anglia [Norwich])

  • Marie Claire Villeval

    (GATE - Groupe d'analyse et de théorie économique - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENS LSH - Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, IZA - Institute for the study of labor - Institute for the Study of Labor - IZA)

Abstract

Male and female choices differ in many economic situations, e.g., on the labor market. This paper considers whether such differences are driven by different attitudes towards competition. In our experiment subjects choose between a tournament and a piece-rate pay scheme before performing a real task. Men choose the tournament significantly more often than women. Women are mainly influenced by their degree of risk aversion, but men are not. Men compete more against men than against women, but compete against women who are thought to compete. The behavior of men seems primarily to be influenced by social norms whose nature and origin we discuss.

Suggested Citation

  • Nabanita Datta Gupta & Anders Poulsen & Marie Claire Villeval, 2005. "Male and Female Competitive Behavior: Experimental," Post-Print halshs-00175039, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00175039
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00175039
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    References listed on IDEAS

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