Gender differences in cooperation: experimental evidence on high school students.
J Alberto Molina1, J Ignacio Giménez-Nadal2, José A Cuesta3
1Departamento de Análisis Económico, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain ; Institute for the Study of Labor-IZA, Bonn, Germany.
Plos One
|December 25, 2013
Summary
This study on the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma found that male participants cooperated less than females. This gender difference in cooperation persisted even after accounting for individual characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Behavioral Economics
- Game Theory
Background:
- Cooperation among unrelated individuals is a key area of study in social sciences.
- Gender differences in cooperative behavior have been debated since Darwin, but consensus is lacking.
- Previous research shows varied results on gender's role in cooperative games like the Prisoner's Dilemma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of gender on cooperation in a repeated Prisoner's Dilemma game.
- To analyze cooperation patterns in Spanish high-school students within different network structures.
- To determine if a gender gap in cooperation exists and its significance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a repeated Prisoner's Dilemma game with over 1200 Spanish high-school students.
- Employed econometric techniques including Ordinary Least Squares and Linear Probability models with random effects.
- Analyzed data from participants in both square lattice and heterogeneous network settings.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant negative association was found between being male and the level of cooperation.
- The gender gap in cooperation, favoring females, remained significant after controlling for unobserved individual heterogeneity.
- Results suggest gender is a relevant factor in cooperative behavior, independent of other socio-demographic factors and preferences.
Conclusions:
- Male participants exhibited lower levels of cooperation compared to female participants in the repeated Prisoner's Dilemma.
- The study confirms a gender-based disparity in cooperation, with females being more cooperative.
- Findings contribute to understanding gender's role in the emergence and maintenance of cooperation in social dilemmas.
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