Work

Mitigating the Gender Gap in the Willingness to Compete: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

Year: 2018

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: We evaluate the impact on competitiveness of a randomized educational intervention that aims to foster grit, a skill that is highly predictive of achievement. The intervention is implemented in elementary schools, and we measure its impact using a dynamic competition task with interim performance feedback. We find that when children are exposed to a worldview that emphasizes the role of effort in achievement and encourages perseverance, the gender gap in the willingness to compete disappears. We show that the elimination of this gap implies significant efficiency gains. We also provide suggestive evidence on a plausible causal mechanism that runs through the positive impact of enhanced grit on girls' optimism about their future performance.

Source: Journal of the European Economic Association

DOI: 10.1093/jeea/jvy036

Authors: Sule Alan, Seda Ertac

Institutions: University of Essex, Bilkent University, Koç University

Language: English

Topic: Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities, Gender equality

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi, Economic and Social Research Council