Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
First, we will ask an outcome question on fertility expectations, which is worded as follows:
“Do you want to have children?”
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: No, in no case. No, rather not. Yes, rather. Yes, in any case. I don’t know yet.
Second, we will ask two outcome questions related to the adolescents’ educational aspirations.
The first question is worded as follows:
“And how important is it to you, that you finish your educational degree in the best possible way?”
Answers can be provided on a 4-point scale: Very important, rather important, rather unimportant, very unimportant
The second question is worded as follows:
“And regardless of which school you are in, or how good your grades are: What is your preferred educational degree?
Answers can be provided on a 2-point scale: Vocational training (apprenticeship), studies (e.g. at a university, or a university of applied sciences)
Third, we will ask two questions on the mating choice. The first question is on preferences for partner attributes, which is worded as follows:
“Now we will talk about what is important in a partner (e.g. spouse) for you. Different things can play a role when choosing a partner.
How important are the following attributes of a partner to you?
- My partner is attractive.
- My partner has a high income.
- My partner wants children.
- My partner takes over tasks in the household.
- My partner takes over tasks in child rearing.
- My partner has the same interests as I have.
- My partner supports me in my career.
- My partner gives me love and security.”
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: very important, quite important, quite unimportant, very unimportant. In addition, the order of the items is randomized at the individual level to avoid sequence effects.
In that list, we are particularly interested in items related to career and division of housework.
The second question is worded as follows:
“Do you want to have a partner (e.g. husband/wife)?”
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: No, in no case; No, rather not; Yes, rather.; Yes, in any case; I don’t know yet.
Fourth, we will ask two outcome questions related the adolescents’ opinion towards the division of roles between mothers and fathers:
The first outcome question is worded as follows:
“To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
- The society demands that mothers should reduce their labour market participation to care about their children.
- The society demands that fathers should reduce their labour market participation to care about their children.
- Mothers and fathers qualify equally well for caring about their children.
- It is better for the family income if mothers care about the children and fathers go to work.
- I hold the opinion, that mothers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation.
- I hold the opinion, that fathers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation.”
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree.
The second outcome question is worded as follows:
“Imagine a family has to decide which parent works and which parent does not work and takes care about the children instead:
In that case, to what extent do you agree with the following statements?
- It is better for young children if mothers take care about the children and fathers work.
- It is better for young children if fathers take care about the children and mothers work.
- It is better for family income if mothers take care about the children and fathers work.
- It is better for family income if fathers take care about the children and mothers work.
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree.
Fifth, we will ask one question on the adolescents’ perceptions towards the attitudes of people in their immediate environment which is worded as follows:
“What do you think, which opinions do the following groups hold about the labor market participation of mothers and fathers, respectively?
- My parents hold the that mothers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation.
- My parents hold the that fathers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation
- My friends hold the that mothers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation.
- My friends hold the that fathers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation
- My future partner holds the that mothers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation.
- My future partner holds the that fathers whose children are aged between 1 and 6 years, should reduce their labour market participation”
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: does/do hold the opinion in any case; does/do rather hold the opinion; does/do rather not hold the opinion; does/do not hold the opinion in any case; neither nor
Sixth, we will elicit adolescents’ beliefs about other gender-related norms:
“What do you think, how many adults in Germany agree to the following statements?
Now think of 100 adults in Germany and state what you believe how many adults hold his opinion (‘0’ means ‘nobody’ and ‘100’ means ‘everybody’; with the numbers in between, you can adjust your answer).
___ of 100 adults in Germany hold the opinion that, a university education is more important for a boy than for a girl.
___ of 100 adults in Germany hold the opinion that a the children suffer when a mother works for pay.
___ of 100 adults in Germany hold the opinion that being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay.
___ of 100 adults in Germany hold the opinion that it is certain to cause problems if a women earns more money than her husband.“
In that question, all respondents are offered a monetary reward if their answer is correct.
Seventh, we will investigate whether respondents decide to acquire information on how parents can manage to work as many hours when having young children as without children. The related question is worded as follows:
“There are different opportunities how parents with young children can manage to work as many hours as parents without children. Do you want to have information about how to work as many hours with young children as without children? If you indicate yes, there will be displayed a link at the end of the survey.”
Respondents can either answer “yes” or “no”. If respondents answer “yes”, they will receive a link to the national employment center, which informs about corresponding opportunities at the end of the questionnaire.
The direction of possible treatment effects on this item are ex-ante unclear: On the one hand, information on social norms might reduce adolescents’ intended labor supply and hence reduce their demand for information on how to combine labor market employment with child-rearing. On the other hand, this information might highlight potential conflicts between child-rearing and employment that respondents were previously unaware of and hence increase their demand for information. The extent to which channel dominates the other is the empirical question that we aim to answer with this item.
We will investigate the secondary outcomes only for the first experiment. In addition, the questions on the adolescents’ opinion towards the division of roles between mothers and fathers, their perceptions towards the attitudes of people in their immediate environment as well as the questions on their preferences for children, partners, and education will be asked in the resurvey, which will allow us to investigate the persistence of treatment effects.