Cooperation and Gender Discrimination

Last registered on June 25, 2021

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Cooperation and Gender Discrimination

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0007869

Initial registration date

June 24, 2021

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

June 25, 2021, 1:37 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Norway

Region

Country

Poland

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Vegard Sjurseike Wiborg

Affiliation

University of Oslo

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Karine Nyborg

PI Affiliation

University of Oslo

PI Name

Jo Thori Lind

PI Affiliation

University of Oslo

PI Name

Kjell Arne Brekke

PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2021-06-24

End date

2021-08-10

Keywords

Behavior, Labor

Additional Keywords

Discrimination, Cooperation

JEL code(s)

C99, J71, A13, D83

Secondary IDs

Abstract

In this experiment we test whether informativeness of the ordering of collaborators matters for the extent of gender discrimination. We match individuals (candidates) who have previously performed mathematical quizzes, in pairs, and ask a new group of subjects to pick (the best) candidates based on information about pair performance, gender, age and type of university degree. Subjects are paid based on their chosen candidates' individual performance on a mathematical quiz. First, we vary the informativeness of a candidate's mathematical performance by ordering pair members either alphabetically (ABC treatment) or according to merit (123 treatment), listing first the pair member with the highest number of correct answers. Second, we measure the presence of gender discrimination by varying the gender compositions of candidates in the choice sets that subjects choose from. In this plan we describe hypotheses to be tested, the coding of variables, and the empirical strategy that will be used.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Brekke, Kjell Arne et al. 2021. "Cooperation and Gender Discrimination." AEA RCT Registry. June 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7869-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

In our study, we ask subjects to choose candidates based on information about the candidates' performance on a set of mathematical exercises together with a partner. Subject's earnings depend on their chosen candidates' individual performance on a math quiz.

We implement interventions simultaneously. In intervention 1 we randomly vary the information subjects receive about the candidates' individual contributions to pair work. In intervention 2, we randomly vary the gender composition of choice sets (group of candidates from which subjects choose one) in order to study how gender discrimination of candidates depend on the information scheme.

Intervention Start Date

2021-06-24

Intervention End Date

2021-08-10

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

The main outcome variables are whether a candidate is chosen, the gender of the chosen candidates and the performance of chosen candidates on the payoff relevant quiz.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

In this experiment, Experiment 2, subjects will evaluate the mathematical abilities of a second group of individuals, from hereon called candidates, that participated in a previous experiment, Experiment 1. First, we provide subjects with information about the candidates' mathematical performance together with a partner (a pair) and some demographic characteristics. Second, we ask them to pick a subset of these candidates. The subjects in Experiment 2 are paid based on the number of correct answers their chosen candidates provided on a particular mathematics quiz in Experiment 1. In total, subjects in Experiment 2 make 13 choices of candidates from 13 choice sets, each consisting of four eligible candidates.

We randomly vary the information subjects receive about candidates' individual contribution to pair-work (intervention 1) to gauge the effect of productivity relevant information on candidate choices. We also vary the gender composition of choice sets (intervention 2) to estimate the effect of information on gender discrimination.

Experimental Design Details

See the attached pre-analysis plan.

Randomization Method

Randomization performed by computer.

Randomization Unit

Subjects are randomized to our between-subjects treatments on the individual level.

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

500 subjects

Sample size: planned number of observations

500 subjects

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

In each treatment arm of our 2*2 design there are 125 subjects. Subjects are allocated to each treatment in intervention 1 with equal probability, and within each of these treatments, subjects are allocated to the two treatments in intervention 2 with equal probability.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

With 500 subjects, power of 0.8 and significance level of 0.05 we are able to detect a difference of approximately 0.07-0.08 in the proportions of male and female main candidates that are chosen. Based on a pilot, these calculation are rest on the assumption that about 50 percent of the subjects choose the main candidates over the course of the experiment.

Supporting Documents and Materials

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