Gender Differences In Preferences Research Articles

More on the Influence of Gender Equality on Gender Differences in Economic Preferences

Abstract This study replicates and extends the work of Falk and Hermle (2018. “Relationship of Gender Differences in Preferences to Economic Development and Gender Equality.” Science 362 (6412): eaas9899), who hypothesized that gender differences in economic preferences (patience, altruism, willingness to take risks, negative and positive reciprocity, and trust) were related to economic development and gender equality. While we were able to replicate their main results, we found that a number of methodological choices called for reexamination. Specifically, the use of an ad hoc gender equality index built by the authors lacked systematic justification, which led us to employ solely well-established indexes from gender studies in the subsequent analysis. This new analysis confirmed a positive and statistically significant association between aggregated gender differences in economic preferences and economic development conditional on gender equality. However, in contrast to the original article, the evidence of the relationship between gender differences and gender equality conditional on economic development was weak. We also investigated the relationships for the separate economic preferences and found that economic development predicts gender differences in all six preferences, whereas gender equality seems to have a negligible or null influence on most of them. Our findings provide a more nuanced view of the gender differences in economic preferences, with possible implications for policy-making.

Relationship of Gender Differences in Preferences to Economic Development and Gender Equality

Relationship of Gender Differences in Preferences to Economic Development and Gender Equality

Gender mainstreaming in sweetpotato breeding in Uganda: a case study.

In Uganda, sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is typically a "woman's crop," grown, processed, stored and also mainly consumed by smallholder farmers for food and income. Farmers value sweetpotato for its early maturity, resilience to stresses, and minimal input requirements. However, productivity remains low despite the effort of breeding programs to introduce new varieties. Low uptake of new varieties is partly attributed to previous focus by breeders on agronomic traits and much less on quality traits and the diverse preferences of men and women in sweetpotato value chains. To address this gap, breeders, food scientists, and social scientists (including gender specialists) systematically mainstreamed gender into the breeding program. This multidisciplinary approach, grounded in examining gender roles and their relationship with varietal and trait preferences, integrated important traits into product profiles. Building on earlier efforts of participatory plant breeding and participatory varietal selection, new interventions showed subtle but important gender differences in preferences. For instance, in a study for the RTBFoods project, women prioritized mealiness, sweetness, firmness and non-fibrous boiled roots. These were further subjected to a rigorous gender analysis using the G+ product profile query tool. The breeding pipelines then incorporated these gender-responsive priority quality traits, prompting the development of standard operating procedures to phenotype these traits. Following an all-inclusive approach coupled with training of multidisciplinary teams involving food scientists, breeders, biochemists, gender specialists and social scientists, integration into participatory variety selection in Uganda enabled accentuation of women and men's trait preferences, contributing to clearer breeding targets. The research has positioned sweetpotato breeding to better respond to the varying needs and preferences of the users.

Enriching a Traditional Learning Activity in Preschool through Augmented Reality: Children’s and Teachers’ Views

Nowadays, Augmented Reality flourishes in educational settings. Yet, little is known about teachers’ and children’s views of Augmented Reality applications in Preschool. This paper explores 71 preschoolers’ opinions of Augmented Reality teaching integrated into a traditional learning activity. Additionally, five educators’ views of Augmented Reality applications in Preschool are captured. Mixed methods with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The questionnaires record children’s preferences regarding their favorite learning activity between traditional and the Augmented Reality one. Additionally, they explore the activity preschoolers would like to repeat and found most enjoyable: playful. Regarding quantitative data analysis, independent/paired samples t-tests and chi-square test along with bootstrapping with 1000 samples were used. As for the qualitative data collection, educators’ semi-structured interviews focused on three axes: (a) children’s motivation and engagement in Augmented Reality activities, (b) Augmented Reality’s potential to promote skills, and (c) Augmented Reality as a teaching tool in preschool. The emerging results are: Preschoolers prefer more Augmented Reality activities than traditional ones. There are no statistically significant gender differences in preferences for Augmented Reality activities. Educators regard Augmented Reality technology as an innovative, beneficial teaching approach in preschool. However, they express concern regarding the promotion of collaboration among preschoolers via Augmented Reality.

Women’s aversion to majors that (seemingly) require systemizing skills causes gendered field of study choice

Abstract This article examines whether gender differences in preferences for field of study characteristics can explain gendered major choice. Specifically, this study focuses on a broad range of subject characteristics that are often simultaneously present: systemizing skills required (math intensity, reasoning style, affinity for technical work tasks), future job characteristics corresponding with the male breadwinner model (materialism, work–family compatibility), and characteristics invoked by behavioural preferences (risky situations and a competitive environment). To disentangle these co-occurring characteristics and minimize the influence of other factors in the decision-making process (e.g. admission likelihood), this study uses a choice experiment incorporated in the Swiss panel study TREE. In it, a representative sample of high school students choose their preferred field of study from two artificial fields with varying characteristics. The results show the largest gender differences in preferences for characteristics related to reasoning style (abstract versus creative) and affinity for work tasks (technical versus social), and smaller differences for math intensity, competitive climate, and work–family compatibility, while there are no gender differences in preferences for materialistic characteristics (salary and prestige). Unexpectedly, the gender differences are primarily caused by female students’ preferences, while male students are neutral towards most characteristics.

Women Are Perceived to Have More Power Than Men in Domains That Are Viewed As Important in U.S. Tweets.

Previous research of gender differences in power has largely focused on the public domain (e.g., leadership positions), and to a lesser extent power on the private domain (e.g., power in private relationships), where people may perceive these domains to be more or less important in their lives. We studied gender differences in preference weighted power (PWP) in different domains by weighting the perceived power by the perceived importance in life in a large set of Twitter messages from the United States (N = 9,286,471). The results showed that men (tweets including "he") are semantically related to general power, and women (tweets including "she") are related to importance in life, which in previous research have been connected to the public and private domains, respectively. Importantly, women had higher PWP than men. In conclusion, men are perceived to have more general power and women more PWP in U.S. tweets.

Relationship of Gender Differences in Preferences to Economic Development and Gender Equality

Preferences - concerning time, risk and social interactions - systematically shape human behavior, and contribute to differential economic and social outcomes between the genders. Here, we present a global investigation of gender differences in six fundamental preferences. Our data consist of 80,000 individuals in 76 representative country samples with measures on willingness to take risks, patience, altruism, positive and negative reciprocity as well as trust. Gender differences in preferences were positively related to economic development and gender equality. This suggests that greater availability of and equal access to material and social resources for both genders favor the manifestation of gender-differentiated preferences across countries.

Understanding the use of shared sanitation facilities in Delhi’s slums

ABSTRACT : In 2020, 3.6 billion people lacked access to safely managed sanitation facilities worldwide, and among them, about 16 per cent used shared sanitation facilities. The most vulnerable urban populations residing in high-density informal settlements largely rely on community sanitation facilities. Thus, there is a need to examine ways to improve users’ experience of shared facilities. Using original surveys in New Delhi’s slums, this study shows that those with access to community toilet complexes were likely to use them regularly but were highly dissatisfied with their lack of availability and poor conditions. Additionally, the study highlights gender differences in preferences for using shared latrines, where women are more likely than men to use clean, functional, and less crowded ones.

Developing a more engaging safety training in agriculture: Gender differences in digital game preferences

Digital games have been effectively used in different working sectors as an occupational safety training method but they are still overlooked in agriculture, despite the high hazardousness of this industry. At the same time, the gender issue is becoming more and more relevant both in the digital game and agricultural fields because of an increasing number of females, both among the agricultural operators and the game players . Based on these considerations, our study aimed at investigating gender differences in the preference for different game characteristics to point out which aspects of a new game for safety training purposes in agriculture may appeal to both male and female operators and which aspects need instead a careful design and high levels of customization, to be equally appreciated by both genders. An online questionnaire was administered to a group of Italian Agricultural Science university students (N = 137, 65% males and 35% females) to investigate their game preferences, in terms of game characteristics, genre and graphic style. Some clear differences (in tasks, quests, rules, and goals, colors and variety), and similarities (in graphics, drama, better rewards and game genre) emerged in males' and females' preferences. Based on these results, some practical guidelines are provided for the design of a gamified safety training tool which can appeal to and be considered engaging by both genders.

Preferences for and perceptions about politicians’ goals and how they impact women’s and men’s political ambition

Women consistently report lower levels of nascent political ambition than men, which causes problems for the recruitment of women in politics. The aim of this study is to better understand the mechanisms behind this gender gap by simultaneously studying the extent to which gender differences in preferences for and perceptions about the typical goals attained through a political career (power, independence and communal goals) can explain gender differences in political ambition. Using data collected among Belgian political and social sciences students (N = 322), our results provide a strong confirmation of the gender gap in political ambition. We also find substantial gender differences in preferences for and perceptions about goals pursued through political careers. However, these individual-level differences in preferences and perceptions only marginally reduce the gender gap in political ambition, emphasising the need for active political recruitment.

How Early Adolescent Skills and Preferences Shape Economics Education Choices

Leveraging data from Sweden and Chicago, we study the educational pipeline for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and economics majors to better understand the determinants of the gender gap and when these determinants arise. We present three findings. First, females are less likely to select STEM courses in high school despite equal or better preparation. Second, there are important gender differences in preferences and beliefs, even conditional on ability. Third, early differences in preferences and beliefs explain more of the gaps in high school sorting than other candidate variables. High school sorting then explains a large portion of the gender difference in college majors.

Preferences or expectations: understanding the gender gap in major choice

Abstract How do students decide what major to study and what explains the low enrolment of women in science and economics? Using data on the subjective expectations of undergraduate students who are in the process of selecting a major, we model major choice as a function of major-specific and job-specific attributes. We identify significant gender differences in the preferences for different attributes as well as in the expectations of future outcomes, especially of grades. Women are willing to pay twice as much as men for course enjoyment and higher grades, even as they expect lower grades in science and economics. This suggests that in addition to gender differences in preferences being shaped by pervasive norms about which subjects are considered more suitable for women, women also suffer from a relative confidence gap in their major-specific abilities.

The Third Wave of COVID-19 versus the Residential Preferences in Poland: An Assessment of Economic Factors and Psychological Determinants

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a reflection on our need for contact with nature. It was the result of suddenly imposed limitations of the everyday functioning of many people and confining them to the space of their own house or apartment. This paper presents the results of a study on the preferences of Polish city dwellers in terms of their need for contact with nature at their place of residence before the COVID-19 outbreak and after the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the study was to identify any relationship between preferences regarding access to nature at the place of residence prior to and during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and variables such as gender, age, background, and distance between the place of residence and any natural or urban green spaces. An online survey was used to examine urban residents’ need for access to nature. Significant gender differences in preferences, both prior to and during the pandemic, were found. Preferences also varied depending on the distance between the place of residence and natural and urban green spaces and depending on the origin of the interviewee (urban or rural). The origin was found to have a significant impact on preferences. The need for contact with nature at the place of residence, both before and after the pandemic, was found to be greater among respondents from rural areas.

The gender gap in university enrolment: evidence from subjective expectations

ABSTRACT In most OECD countries, more women than men enrol in undergraduate degrees. I analyse this gap in enrolment using the elicited subjective beliefs of a sample of 240 17–18-year-olds living in England. I use these beliefs to estimate a discrete choice model. The results from this model can explain the majority of the gender gap in enrolment. Gender differences in preferences over future outcomes rather than differences in subjective beliefs account for most of the gap. An important difference between men and women is women value feeling independent whereas men do not.

Gender differences in preferences of adolescents: Evidence from a large-scale classroom experiment

In this study, we estimate unadjusted and adjusted gender gaps in time preference, risk attitudes, altruism, trust, trustworthiness, cooperation, and competitiveness using data on 1088 high school students from 53 classes. These data, collected by running incentivized experiments in Hungarian classrooms, are linked to an administrative data source on the students’ standardized test scores, grades and family background. After taking into account class fixed effects, we find that females are significantly more altruistic, but are less present biased, less risk tolerant, less trusting, less trustworthy, and less competitive than males. At the same time we do not observe significant gender differences in patience, time inconsistency and cooperation at the 5% significance level. We also show that most of these initial gender differences do not change even if we control for age, family background, cognitive skills and school grades in a regression framework. We risk over-control when we include the time spent on each task as well as the other preference domains in our regressions, but the gender gap remains significant in social preferences (altruism, trust and trustworthiness), present bias and competition.

“I prefer to take pills when I plan to have sex”: Perceptions of on-demand versus daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis among adolescents in Kampala, Uganda

There is limited information about the use of on-demand and daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among adolescents and young people (AYP) in sub-Saharan Africa. We explored perceptions of both regimens among 14- to 19-year-olds perceived to be at high risk of HIV infection in Kampala, Uganda, using qualitative data collection methods. Data were analysed by theme and interpreted based on constructs from the framework of acceptability. Although there were no noticeable gender differences in preferences for a particular regimen, acceptability of PrEP depended on individual AYP sexual behaviour at the time of the study. Those who perceived themselves to be at increased risk of acquiring HIV preferred using daily PrEP, citing the consistency that comes from taking a pill daily and which they considered to be efficacious and safe. AYP who had less frequent sex preferred on-demand PrEP because it would enable them to “plan for sex”. However, both groups perceived taking daily PrEP to be a burden, which was an impediment to acceptance of this form of PrEP. AYP anticipated that daily pill taking would be very stressful, requiring a lot of effort and would interrupt their daily routine. Therefore, while both on-demand and daily PrEP were acceptable and beneficial to these AYP, preferences for either regimen depended on self-perceived risk. Thus, oral PrEP use should be tailored to end-user preferences and risk profiles.

Self‐employment preferences among university graduates in Ghana: Does gender make a difference?

SummaryMotivationYouth employment has become an urgent policy issue in Africa. Half of the population is under 25 years old on a continent in which job creation lags behind economic growth. Consequently, policy‐makers have increasingly proposed self‐employment as a solution to the challenge of youth unemployment.PurposeThis study examines self‐employment preferences among university graduates in Ghana. We address two related questions: (1) Are there gender differences in young people’s willingness to pursue self‐employment; and (2) what are the predictors of preference for self‐employment in male and female graduates?Methods and approachOur analysis draws on a sample of 1,180 university graduates interviewed during their compulsory year of national service, which follows graduation. We analyse gender and other sub‐group differences using t‐tests for statistical significance of differences in means. We then estimate multinomial logit regressions to analyse what factors predict employment preferences.FindingsWe find substantial gender differences in preferences for self‐employment. Despite women having higher rates of self‐employment in the economy, the female graduates in our sample are significantly less likely to prefer self‐employment than men—12% of women and 16% of men report that their desired type of work would be self‐employment. Moreover, while marital status and childbearing are the strongest predictors of self‐employment preferences for women, self‐employment experience and financial background are the strongest predictors for men.Policy implicationsThis study suggests that gender differences in labour market outcomes are partly a function of differential preferences rooted in unequal constraints. Bridging these gendered inequalities will require policy interventions that both impact the preferences women form prior to entering the labour market and address their gender‐specific concerns about family responsibilities.

Motivational factors at work of e-commerce and e-business employees. What is the difference between genders?

The objective of this research is to understand gender differences in motivational drivers at workplace, with a focus on people with working experiences in the field of e-commerce and e-business. Special attention is devoted to the preference of the competitive and cooperative behaviour. We examined gender differences in the preference of eight motivational drivers on a sample of N = 429 (41 % females). Results showed that males ranked higher in motivation by professional challenge, preference of competitive settings and opportunities to develop. Females scored higher in the motivation by social support and physical working environment. Interestingly, there were found no gender differences in preference of financial reward and recognition, what supports the thesis of equal pay and equal treatment policies. The most pronounced gender differences occurred in the preference of competitive vs. cooperative behaviour. Males have significantly higher preference of competition when compared to females and vice-versa. In the analytical quadrant of motivation by high competition and low cooperation there was 35 % of males and 16 % of females. In the opposite quadrant of motivation by low competition and high cooperation there were 24 % of males vs. 45 % of females. Results have interesting implications for management of human resources and gender-based talent management.

Participation of women in science in the developed and developing worlds: inverted U of feminization of the scientific workforce, gender equity and retention

Abstract We consider various factors impacting the participation of women in science throughout the world, with a particular emphasis on developing countries. For the world as a whole, we find that when the percentage of women working in science in a country is plotted vs. the per capita GDP of the country (adjusted for purchasing power parity) the data fall on an inverted U-shaped ‘boomerang’ curve. Thus, as per capita wealth increases, the percentage of women in science first increases and then falls. This is in marked contrast to the (right-side-up) U-shaped curve that is well-established for the participation of women in the labor force as a whole, suggesting that there are factors in the culture of science that result in opposing trends to those observed in the general workforce. This also results in many developing countries having a much higher participation of women in the scientific workforce than is seen in economically developed countries. Contradicting previous reports to the contrary, we find a positive correlation between gender equality in science and the degree of overall gender equity in the country. Thus, we do not find evidence for the claim that greater gender equity results in the manifestation of innate gender differences in preferences for science. We find differing patterns of retention in science for women in developing and developed countries. We also briefly discuss other factors that make it difficult for women in developing countries to follow a scientific career, or to advance in their careers.

Gender differences in quality of life and preferences for location‐specific amenities across cities

AbstractThe quality of life literature revealed the role that natural resources and local consumption amenities play in household preferences for cities and their growing importance in determining the success of cities. As women's control over household resources has increased, a growing body of consumer behavior literature has been documenting gender differences in preferences for consumer goods. Yet, the quality of life literature does not seem to make any distinction along gender lines in determining preferences for local consumption amenities. We estimate the quality of life across US cities separately for unmarried men and women, and using a rich set of location‐specific amenities, examine which amenities cause preferences to differ between men and women. Our results suggest that men and women's valuations of cities are correlated, suggesting commonality in preferences for many location‐based amenities, most notably natural resources, but there are also important deviations in valuations especially for local public goods and gender role attitudes.