The Gender Gap in Confidence: Expected but Not Accounted For

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Exley, Christine L.; Nielsen, Kirby
• 署名单位: University of Michigan System; University of Michigan; California Institute of Technology
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20221413
• 发表日期: 2024
• 页码: 851-885
• 关键词: stereotypes; JUDGMENT; DYNAMICS; IDENTITY; BACKLASH; beliefs

摘要

We investigate how the gender gap in confidence affects the views that evaluators (e.g., employers) hold about men and women. We find the confidence gap is contagious, causing evaluators to form overly pessimistic beliefs about women. This result arises even though the confidence gap is expected and even though the confidence gap shouldn't be contagious if evaluators are Bayesian. Only an intervention that facilitates Bayesian updating proves (somewhat) effective. Additional results highlight how similar findings follow even when there is no room for discriminatory motives or differences in priors because evaluators are asked about arbitrary, rather than gender -specific, groups. (JEL D82, D83, D91, J16, J22, M51)