Boys more likely than girls to negotiate greater rewards, the results of the study

Women continue to win less than men for the same job – a gap often attributed, at least in part, to differences between sexes in negotiations. A new set of studies reveals that boys are starting to ask more than girls in negotiations from primary school. This is because girls, even at a young age, think they deserve less.

In three studies, researchers have examined the negotiation behavior of 462 boys and girls aged 6 and 12. The children were asked about their perception of negotiations and engaged in negotiations for awards such as candies and funny images. The works, carried out by professors from the University of New York and the Boston College, were published in Development psychology.

In one of the studies, the children have accomplished a task and were then asked for how much they deserved for their performance. The girls asked less than the boys.

To finish the task, the children were invited to respond to the Smiley and fruitful faces on a screen by saying “happy” or “sad” as quickly and precisely as possible. They started with a simple test of tests, where their answers align with the emotions shown on the faces. Then, they moved to a more difficult set of trials, where the rules were reversed – offering them to say “sad” for smiling and “happy” faces for fruitful faces.

After doing the task, the experimenter told the children that they had done a great job and deserved a bonus of funny photos. We then asked the children how many photos they thought they could receive. The girls asked for fewer photos than the boys.

Despite the fact that the boys and girls behaved as well on the task, their perceptions diffracted. The girls thought they did not do as well as the boys. This gap between the sexes in self -perception was a key factor behind the gender differences that researchers have observed in the number of images requested, stressing how confidence – or its absence – can shape girls from girls from His younger age. “In particular, the boys overestimated their competence (both in relation to girls and in relation to reality) and have negotiated more resources accordingly,” write the authors.

Previous research noted that adult women also underestimate their performance in relation to men and that men feel titled to more salary than women. Regarding children, previous research has also shown that boys tend to mark up in narcissism and self -esteem than girls. It is despite the fact that Girls surpass Academic boys in primary school in high school.

One of the possible reasons why the girls asked for fewer photos is that they may have learned that asking too many things could make them less sympathetic. Previous research On gender differences in adult negotiations, said women often expect adverse reactions or reactions if they ask too much. This wait can lead women to target lower during negotiations.

In the present study, however, the expected counterpoupoupoupoupoupounce did not explain the differences between the negotiation behavior of boys and girls. They were asked the children if they thought that the adult negotiator would like them less or that it was bored with them for having asked for a number of photos, and there was no difference between the sexes in their answers. The researchers also evaluated if the girls thought it was less appropriate for the girls to ask for things – they did not do it.

“The only perception variable that concerned the behavior of girls and boys – and has also taken into account a substantial part of the gap between the sexes in negotiation – was self -competence of children. The boys (against girls) thought they were better than other children in the task for which they negotiated, and in turn, they also negotiated more resources, “conclude the authors.

The roots of the lower self-assessment of girls probably come from societal standards, stereotypes and first experiences that subtly strengthen the idea that boys are more capable or deserving than girls. This lack of confidence can limit the will of the girls to plead for themselves, which has an impact not only on childhood negotiations, but also on career opportunities and discussions on wages later in life . The resolution of this problem requires creating environments that encourage girls to recognize their capacities. Control this gap of confidence is essential to achieve gender equity in negotiations and wages.