The Effect of Feedback on Gender Differences in Competitive Choices.

38 Pages Posted: 24 Dec 2011 Last revised: 14 Dec 2016

See all articles by David Wozniak

David Wozniak

Eastern Michigan University - Accounting and Finance

William T. Harbaugh

University of Oregon - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Ulrich Mayr

University of Oregon - Department of Psychology

Date Written: December 11, 2016

Abstract

We study the effect of feedback about relative performance on the choice to compete, and the demand for that feedback, using an experiment where participants can choose between piece rate and tournament compensation for simple addition tasks. The experiment was conducted in a shopping mall with 885 adults with wide demographic variation. We replicate the gender gap in competitive choices in this large and diverse sample. We find that providing free feedback about relative performance does not affect the overall gender gap, but does affect the choices to compete by gender and ability. When feedback is costly, females are less likely to buy it than are men, and the reduction in the competitive choice gender gap for high ability individuals is smaller than when feedback is costless. The gender gap in feedback demand varies with age and confidence.

Keywords: Gender, Feedback, Competition, Age

JEL Classification: D00, J00, J16, C90

Suggested Citation

Wozniak, David and Harbaugh, William T. and Mayr, Ulrich, The Effect of Feedback on Gender Differences in Competitive Choices. (December 11, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1976073 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1976073

David Wozniak (Contact Author)

Eastern Michigan University - Accounting and Finance ( email )

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
YPSILANTI, MI 48197
United States
734.487.3320 (Phone)

William T. Harbaugh

University of Oregon - Department of Economics ( email )

Eugene, OR 97403
United States
541-346-1244 (Phone)
541-346-1243 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Ulrich Mayr

University of Oregon - Department of Psychology ( email )

Eugene, OR 97403
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.uoregon.edu/~mayr/Ulrich.htm

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