Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/324248 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 2510
Publisher: 
Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Department of Economics, Linz
Abstract: 
This paper explores how positive feedback in a competitive setting shapes the evolution of gender differences in risk tolerance during adolescence. We use data from professional diving, a 'real life, real risk' environment where the notion of risk is very intuitive and associated with the height of the dive. We find that young divers are more engaged in high-risk (platform) competitions after their first win in a low-risk (springboard) competition. This effect is driven by individuals with no prior platform experience and is more pronounced for males: On average, male divers are 37% more likely to participate in platform diving after their first win compared to 10% for female divers. Additional findings indicate that the treatment intensity (for female divers) and the coach's gender (for male divers) are moderators of the effect.
Subjects: 
risk-taking
positive feedback
gender
adolescence
JEL: 
D01
D81
D91
J16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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