She Couldn't Agree More : The Role of Failure Attribution in Shaping the Gender Gap in Competition Persistence

This study examines the impact of competition loss and attributional feedback on the gender gap in persistence. Since it is difficult to avoid failure in competitive domains, this study investigates the gender differences in the causal effect of losing a competition and receiving attributional feedback on the subsequent willingness to compete. Provided attributional feedback attributes the competition loss to either bad luck, a lack of effort, or a lack of ability. Using a laboratory experiment, the study finds no gender differences in persistence after losing a competition. However, it finds significant gender differences in the willingness to compete after losing and receiving attributional feedback that attributes the loss to bad luck or a lack of ability. Relative to men, women are less likely to compete again after losing and receiving feedback that attributes their loss to a lack of ability and more likely to compete when their loss is attributed to bad luck. Men and women compete at a similar rate when their loss is attributed to a lack of effort. The findings have implications for designing feedback mechanisms that potentially improve women’s representation in the labor market