Closing the gender gap in competitiveness through priming

Loukas Balafoutas · Helena Fornwagner · Matthias Sutter

47 citations0/0 files storedNature Communications

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Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics Social Power and Status Dynamics

Abstract

Men have been observed to have a greater willingness to compete compared to women, and it is possible that this contributes to gender differences in wages and career advancement. Policy interventions such as quotas are sometimes used to remedy this but these may cause unintended side-effects. Here, we present experimental evidence that a simple and practically costless tool-priming subjects with power-can close the gender gap in competitiveness. While in a neutral as well as in a low-power priming situation men are much more likely than women to choose competition, this gap vanishes when subjects are primed with a high-power situation. We show that priming with high power makes competition entry decisions more realistic and also that it reduces the level of risk tolerance among male participants, which can help explain why it leads to a closing down of the gender gap in competitiveness.

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References

2007z-Tree: Zurich toolbox for ready-made economic experiments 2011A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety 1989Delay of Gratification in Children 2007Do Women Shy Away From Competition? Do Men Compete Too Much?1996Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action.1996Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action.2003Performance in Competitive Environments: Gender Differences 2003From Power to Action.

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2019Contest versus scramble competition: sex differences in the quest for status 2021Can simple advice eliminate the gender gap in willingness to compete?2019Females Are First Authors, Sole Authors, and Reviewers of Entomology Publications Significantly Less Often Than Males 2024Overconfidence and Preferences for Competition 2020Focal random selection closes the gender gap in competitiveness

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