The Gender Gap Cracks Under Pressure: A Detailed Look at Male and Female Performance Differences During Competitions

Christopher Cotton, Frank McIntyre and Joseph Price

No 2010-18, Working Papers from University of Miami, Department of Economics

Abstract: Using data from multiple-period math competitions, we show that males outperform females of similar ability during the first period. However, the male advantage is not found in any subsequent period of competition, or even after a two-week break from competition. Some evidence suggests that males may actually perform worse than females in later periods. The analysis considers various experimental treatments and finds that the existence of gender differences depends crucially on the design of the competition and the task at hand. Even when the male advantage does exist, it does not persist beyond the initial period of competition.

Keywords: competitiveness; gender differences; effort and productivity; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J24 J78 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25 pages
Date: 2010-07
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Forthcoming: Working Paper

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https://www.herbert.miami.edu/_assets/files/repec/ ... ender-gap-cracks.pdf First version, 2009 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: The Gender Gap Cracks Under Pressure: A Detailed Look at Male and Female Performance Differences During Competitions (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mia:wpaper:2010-18

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