Do female experts face an authority gap? Evidence from economics

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

This paper reports results from a survey experiment comparing the effect of (the same) opinions expressed by visibly senior, female versus male experts. Members of the public were asked for their opinion on topical issues and shown the opinion of either a named male or a female economist, all professors at leading US universities. There are three findings. First, experts can persuade members of the public – the opinions of individual expert economists affect the opinions expressed by the public. Second, the opinions expressed by visibly senior female economists are more persuasive than the same opinions expressed by male economists. Third, removing credentials (university and professor title) eliminates the gender difference in persuasiveness, suggesting that credentials act as a differential information signal about the credibility of female experts.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 22 Jan 2025

Research Groups and Themes

  • ECON Applied Economics

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