Constructing gender differences in the economics lab (original) (raw)
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Constructing gender in the economics lab
Research Papers in Economics, 2009
Several experimental studies on altruism have found women to be more generous than men. We investigate whether observed gender gaps in generosity can be explained by experimental setting, where some settings are more conducive than others to activating gender identity and social norms. In a dictator game we study priming along two dimensions: 1) some subjects enter their gender on the first page of the questionnaire (Pre) while others enter their gender on the last page (Post) and 2) some subjects are seated in single-sex rooms (Homogeneous) while others are seated in gender-mixed rooms (Mixed). It turns out that gender differences occur (women are more generous than men) only for the combination Pre and Mixed. The effect is driven by males: men are sensitive to priming, while women are not.
Gender differences in economic experiments
Revista Internacional de Sociología, 2012
This paper reviews the experimental economics literature on gender differences concerning four subjects: risk aversion, trust, deception and leadership. The vast majority of the articles we have revised document gender differences in behavior; differences which could be explained by sex-role stereotypes and/or hormonal differences. * Authors acknowledge the financial support from the MCI (SEJ2007-62081/ECON), Junta de Andalucía-Excelencia (P07.SEJ.02547) and Instituto de la Mujer (2007 I+D+I/031).
This chapter reviews the results from public goods, ultimatum, and dictator experiments for evidence of systematic differences in the behavior of men and women. While the results do not offer consistent evidence of behavioral differences between men and women, there are some intriguing patterns in the data. No significant evidence of systematic differences in the play of men and women is evident in those settings where subjects are exposed to risk. In those settings where risk is absent, systematic differences are revealed. This finding is conditioned by the level of risk.
Are Women Less Selfish than Men?: Evidence from Dictator Games
Social Science Research Network, 1998
Research in social sciences other than economics indicates substantial differences in behaviour between men and women. The general conclusion drawn from this work is that women will be more socially-orientated (sel¯ess), and men more individually-orientated (sel®sh). This paper reports the results of a double-anonymous dictator experiment designed to permit the emergence of basic gender differences in economic behaviour. Our results are intended to provide a baseline for further research. We ®nd that women, on average, donate twice as much as men to their anonymous partners when any factors that might confound cooperation are eliminated.
Gender Differences in the Giving and Taking Variants of the Dictator Game
Southern Economic Journal, 2017
We run a between-subject dictator game with 'give' and 'take' frames involving a balanced pool of male and female dictators. Complying with the existing literature we find no overall difference in the amount allocated to the recipient across the treatments. However, this is only an illusion of the aggregate. Females allocate significantly more under the taking frame compared to the giving frame whereas males show exactly the opposite behaviornullifying the overall effect. This occurs since a taking frame makes males significantly more selfish and females significantly more egalitarian compared to a giving frame.
Gender Differences in Dictator Games
Finding out whether there exist gender differences in particular economic games would give more insight in the contemporary dynamics of economics. This literature review examines the gender differences in dictator games, which reflects the level of self-interest of the individual. Three different forms of dictator games are examined in which gender differences are tested. All these studies show that gender differences in dictator games exist, in which females are more generous than males.
Experimenter Bias Across Gender Differences
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
This paper reports on a laboratory study that examined the influence of experimenter bias in the investment game. Specifically we explored the effect of changing the gender of the experimenter and compared it with the double blind treatment. Our findings show that the presence of a female experimenter influences reciprocity. We also provide further evidence on gender differences in trust and reciprocity. JEL CODES: C90, C91, J16.
The gender effect in the laboratory
Routledge Siena Studies in Political Economy, 2008
We test the effect of changing the experimenter's gender in the trust game. Our assumption is that experimental subjects seek to discover the true purpose of the experiment. Thus, the gender of experimenter may produce a bias to confirm experimenter's expectations in a test on the gender effect. We find that the presence of a female experimenter influences positively trust and reciprocity. This result supports the hypothesis that women are perceived as less selfish than men.
Distributive behavior, cooperation and gender differences: evidence from Dictator experiments
Revista Brasileira de Terapia Comportamental e Cognitiva
The aim of this work was to investigate if men and women differed significantly in the distribution of endowments in a dictatorial game context, after the accomplishment of a cooperative task, when interacting directly one with another (Study 1), and when interaction is intermediated by the researcher (Study 2). The experimental task consisted of putting together a puzzle, and then distribute vouchers tickets in the model of a Dictatorial Game. One hundred twenty undergraduates (80 in Study 1 and 40 in Study 2) were organized into three types of pairs: men only, women only, or mixed. The distribution and expectation of receiving vouchers were not influenced by gender and, in general, participants tended to equality in all experimental conditions. Results suggest that participants appraise their partners’ work and try to compensate them, thus contributing to egalitarianism and pro-sociability, even in a context of a Dictator Game.
The Gender Effect in the Laboratory: Experimenter Bias and Altruism
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
We test the effect of changing the experimenter's gender in the trust game. Our assumption is that experimental subjects seek to discover the true purpose of the experiment. Thus, the gender of experimenter may produce a bias to confirm experimenter's expectations in a test on the gender effect. We find that the presence of a female experimenter influences positively trust and reciprocity. This result supports the hypothesis that women are perceived as less selfish than men. JEL CODES: C90, C91, J16.