Are Women More Resilient? Gender Differences in the Reaction to Negative Feedback

Abstract

Although the gender gap in labor markets is steadily narrowing, there is a persistent shortage of women in competitive high-ranking positions. A large body of literature suggests that gender differences in preference for and reaction to competition are potential explanations for the scarcity of women available for leadership positions. Recent studies indicate through laboratory experiments that positive feedback eliminates gender differences in competitiveness and self-confidence, whereas negative feedback and bad experiences cause women to be more likely to withdraw from competition and reduce performance. Our study reveals a new facet of this phenomenon: Women who voluntarily participate in competitive settings are more likely to return to competition after a negative experience than men. While this underscores that feedback indeed causes different reactions in men and women, it suggests that the characteristics of the feedback is decisive: Men tend to avoid competitive situations after receiving implicit negative feedback and increasingly compete after positive experiences. Women, by contrast, re-enter a competition regardless of the nature of the previous experience.