Do Women Shy Away from Public Speaking? A Field Experiment

Public speaking is an important skill for career prospects and leadership positions, but many people tend to avoid it. We run a field experiment analyze whether in incentivized setting men women show differences their willingness speak public. The involved more than 500 undergraduates who could gain two points add the final grade of exam by presenting solutions set problem orally. Students were randomly assigned give presentation instructor only or front large audience (a class 100 more). find that while are willing do face-to-face presentation, they considerably less likely public presentation. female aversion does not depend on ability other psychological attitudes. Such seems marked daughters working women. cannot be interpreted as strategic avoidance deriving from anticipating poor performance this specific task. From survey data we also neither increasing gains nor allowing participants time prepare lessens gender gap.