Género, rasgos conductuales y la elección de carrera: Evidencia experimental en Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

Gender differences in competitiveness are often analyzed as a possible explanation for the gender gap in education and the labor market. This study analyzes gender differences in competency preferences, confidence, and risk aversion and whether these measures explain gender differences in the choice of university careers. An experiment and a questionnaire were applied to 600 second-year high school students from 19 public schools in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. We found that men are eager to compete, while women seem to shy away from competition, this is partly explained because women are less confident and more risk averse than men, and we also find that the lower the perception of mathematical difficulty, the more they will choose to compete. The gender differences found in choosing a STEM career are attributed to sex, the expected income and the perception of mathematical difficulty presented by the students.