Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/104362 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
Munich Discussion Paper No. 2012-15
Publisher: 
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Volkswirtschaftliche Fakultät, München
Abstract: 
We analyze how subjects’ self-assessment depends on whether its accuracy is observable to others. We find that women downgrade their selfassessment given observability while men do not. Women avoid the shame they may have if others observe that they overestimated themselves. Men, however, do not seem to be similarly shame-averse. This gender difference may be due to different societal expectations: While we find that men are expected to be overconfident, women are not. Shame-aversion may explain recent findings that women shy away from competition, demanding jobs and wage negotiations, as entering these situations is a statement to be confident of one’s ability.
Subjects: 
Gender
Shame
Self-confidence
Overconfidence
Experiment
JEL: 
C91
D03
J16
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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