Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/161210 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 10587
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We exploit a unique setting in which two professionals compete in a real-life tennis contest with high monetary rewards in order to assess how men and women respond to competitive pressure. Comparing their performance in low-stakes versus high-stakes situations, we find that men consistently choke under competitive pressure, but with regard to women the results are mixed. Furthermore, even if women show a drop in performance in the more crucial stages of the match, it is in any event about 50% smaller than that of men. These findings are robust to different specifications and estimation strategies.
Subjects: 
gender
performance
competitive pressure
tennis
choking
JEL: 
J16
J24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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