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Gender Differences in Competition Emerge Early in Life

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  • Sutter, Matthias

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods)

  • Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela

    (University of Innsbruck)

Abstract

We study gender differences in the willingness to compete in a large-scale experiment with 1,035 children and teenagers, aged three to eighteen years. Using an easy math task for children older than eight years and a running task for the younger ones we find that boys are much more likely to enter a tournament than girls across the whole age spectrum considered here. This gender gap is observed already with three-year olds, indicating that gender differences in competitiveness emerge very early in life. The gap is robust to controlling for gender differences in risk attitudes and overconfidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Sutter, Matthias & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela, 2010. "Gender Differences in Competition Emerge Early in Life," IZA Discussion Papers 5015, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    teenagers; competition; experiment; gender gap; children;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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