William Harbaugh: U of Oregon

One potential explanation for some of the differences in incomes between men and women is a difference in preferences for economic competition. In experiments with real effort and cash payoffs men are more likely to select into winner-take-all tournaments, while women tend to choose individual piece-rate pay or equal payments based on group performance. This talk examines how these relative gender differences vary across age and over the menstrual cycle. With an eye towards possible policy interventions we also examine differences in the demand for feedback information, and differences in how the effect of feedback on past performance affects choices about competition.