| Abstract: |
In speedboat racing in Japan, women racers participate and compete in races
under the same conditions as men, and all individuals are randomly assigned to
mixed-gender or single-gender groups for each race. In this paper we use a
sample of over 140,000 observations of individual-level racing records
provided by the Japanese Speedboat Racing Association to examine how
male-dominated circumstances affect women's racing performance. We control for
individual fixed-effects plus a host of other factors affecting performance
(such as starting lane, fitness and weather conditions). Our estimates reveal
that women's race-time is slower in mixed-gender races than in all-women
races, whereas men racer's time is faster in mixed-gender races than men-only
races. In mixed-gender races, male racers are found to be more 'aggressive' –
as proxied by lane-changing – in spite of the risk of being penalized if they
contravene the rules, whereas women follow less aggressive strategies. We find
no difference in disqualifications between genders. We suggest that
gender-differences in risk-attitudes and over-confidence may result in
different responses to the competitive environment and penalties for
rule-breaking, and that gender-identity also plays a role. |