Gender Differences in Economics Course-Taking and Majoring: Findings from an RCT

Halim, Daniel, Elizabeth T. Powers, and Rebecca Thornton. 2021. "Gender Differences in Economics Course-Taking and Majoring: Findings from an RCT." World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 9732 (July).

17 Pages Posted: 13 Mar 2022

See all articles by Daniel Zefanya Halim

Daniel Zefanya Halim

World Bank

Elizabeth T. Powers

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Rebecca L. Thornton

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Economics, Students

Date Written: July 2021

Abstract

This paper reports on gender differences in responses to a randomized controlled trial that provided encouragement and information nudges to take subsequent economics courses and major in the subject for students enrolled in large introductory economics classes at a large elite public university. Two treatments combined encouragement to major in economics with information on either financial or prosocial returns to the major. Men receiving either treatment were more likely to take an additional economics course, but not to major in economics. In contrast, the treatments were not estimated to significantly affect women’s course-taking and majoring. Two treatment mediators are also examined: expected versus actual grade and having a female teaching assistant. There were also differing effects of mediators on treatment responses for men and women. Women were more nudge-able to take another course when they received a better-than-expected introductory class grade, and men were more nudge-able to take another course when they had a female teaching assistant.

Keywords: Gender, economics, RCT, college major

JEL Classification: C93, J16, J7, A22

Suggested Citation

Halim, Daniel Zefanya and Powers, Elizabeth T. and Thornton, Rebecca L., Gender Differences in Economics Course-Taking and Majoring: Findings from an RCT (July 2021). Halim, Daniel, Elizabeth T. Powers, and Rebecca Thornton. 2021. "Gender Differences in Economics Course-Taking and Majoring: Findings from an RCT." World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 9732 (July). , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4009244 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4009244

Daniel Zefanya Halim

World Bank ( email )

1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
United States

Elizabeth T. Powers (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

214 David Kinley Hall
1407 W Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/elizabethtpowers/home

Rebecca L. Thornton

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Economics, Students ( email )

Champaign, IL
United States

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