Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
gender gap, grade sensitivity, economic majors
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Economics
Abstract
For my research I used institutional data from Brigham Young University as well as survey data from students to investigate the effect of gender and grade in Econ 110 on the probability of choosing economics as a major. This topic is of interest because the percentage of female economics majors at BYU is 16%, well below the national average. The aim of this project was to determine whether female students react differently to grades than male students. Previous research has documented a gender gap in grade sensitivity that leads women with lower grades to drop out of economics while men persist, leading to an uneven gender ratio (Rask & Tiefenthaler 2008). Identifying the causes behind the underrepresentation of women in economics is the first step towards changing it.
Recommended Citation
Russell, Brittany Farnsworth and Eide, Dr. Eric
(2018)
"Investigating the Gender Gap in Grade Sensitivity for Economics Majors,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2018:
Iss.
1, Article 42.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2018/iss1/42