Meeting of the Social Statistics Section
Tuesday December 12th at 5.00 pm at the Society, 12 Errol Street
London, EC1Y 8LX (Tea at 4.30 pm)
Gender differences in ability perception, career expectations and life-time
values
Arnaud Chevalier ( Royal Holloway College, University of London)
Gender differences amongst graduates will be explored. The emphasis is on
self assessment and life-time values. The first part assesses how
adolescents and students estimate their own absolute and relative
performance at simple tests, using data from PISA 2003 and an on line
surveys conducted amongst first year students in the first week of term in
2005. We explore whether gender differences in relative self perception of
performance are related to decision to attend university. Individuals
overestimate their performance by 27%. Males overestimate their relative
performance by almost a decile compared to women in math but not in
literacy. These differences in perception could be related to the choice of
subjects at university.
Gender differences in career expectations and life-time values amongst the
1995 graduate cohort will also be discussed. Using cross sectional survey,
the evidence indicates that women are more altruistic and less career-
oriented than men. The main difference concerns career break expectations
which explains 10% of the gender wage gap in our favoured model. By
omitting attitudinal variables most studies are likely to over-estimate the
unexplained component of the gender wage gap. Women with a more traditional
view concerning childrearing are also found to have less intensive search
behaviour. These results suggest that without a change in attitudes, the
gender wage gap is likely to remain at its current level.
Discussant :
Anna Vignoles ( Institute of Education , University of London)A
Admission:
The meeting is open to all and free of charge but if possible pre-
registration is requested. Please email [log in to unmask] or tel. 020
7638 8998 to register.
For more information please contact Professor Antony Fielding:
[log in to unmask]
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