%0 Report
        %A Böheim, René
%A Lackner, Mario
%A Wagner, Wilhelm
        %T Raising the Bar: Causal Evidence on Gender Differences in Risk-Taking from a Natural Experiment
        %D 2020
        %8 2020 Jan
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 12946
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp12946
        %X We analyze data from top-tier professional athletes and find that female and male athletes differ in the timing and in the extent of their reactions to a change of the rules which increased the risk of failure. Male athletes increased risk-taking in the more risky environment immediately after the changes. Female athletes, however, increased risk-taking two years after the rule change. Over time, female athletes reverted to pre-reform risk-taking levels and male athletes' continued to make more risky decisions in the new environment. We attribute our findings to gender differences in competitiveness and risk preferences.
        %K gender differences
%K risk-taking
%K competitiveness