Women continue to earn less than men for the same job—a gap often attributed, at least in part, to gender differences in negotiation. A new set of studies reveals that boys begin asking for more than girls in negotiations as early as elementary school. This is because girls, even at a young age, think they are less deserving.
Across three studies, the researchers examined the negotiating behaviors of 462 boys and girls aged 6 and 12. The children were asked about their perceptions of negotiations and engaged in negotiations for rewards such as candy and funny pictures. The work, completed by professors at New York University and Boston College, was published in Developmental Psychology.
In one of the studies, children completed a task and were then asked how much they deserved for their performance. Girls requested less than boys.
To complete the task, the children were asked to respond to smiley and frowny faces on a screen by saying “happy” or “sad” as quickly and accurately as possible. They began with a straightforward set of trials, where their responses aligned with the emotions shown on the faces. Next, they moved to a more challenging set of trials, where the rules were reversed—requiring them to say “sad” for smiley faces and “happy” for frowny faces.
After completing the task, the experimenter told the children they had done a great job and deserved a bonus of funny pictures. The children were then asked how many pictures they thought they should receive. Girls asked for fewer pictures than boys.
Despite the fact that boys and girls performed equally well on the task, their perceptions differed. Girls believed they didn’t do as well as the boys. This gender gap in self-perception was a key factor behind the gender differences the researchers observed in the number of pictures requested, underscoring how confidence—or a lack thereof—can shape girls’ experiences from an early age. “Notably, boys overestimated their competence (both relative to girls and relative to reality) and negotiated for more resources as a result,” the authors write.
Previous research has found that adult women also underestimate their performance relative to men and that men feel entitled to more pay than women. When it comes to children, earlier research has also shown that boys tend to score higher in narcissism and self-esteem than girls. This is despite the fact that girls outperform boys academically in elementary school through high school.
One possible reason girls asked for fewer pictures is that they may have learned that asking for too much could make them seem less likable. Previous research on gender differences in adult negotiations has indicated that women often expect adverse reactions or backlash if they ask for too much. This expectation can lead women to aim lower during negotiations.
In the present study, however, anticipated backlash didn’t explain the differences between boys’ and girls’ negotiation behavior. Children were asked if they thought the adult negotiator would like them less or get annoyed with them for asking for a certain number of pictures, and there were no gender differences in their responses. The researchers also assessed whether girls thought it was less appropriate for girls to ask for things—they did not.
“The only perception variable that related to both girls’ and boys’ behavior—and also accounted for a substantial portion of the gender gap in negotiation—was children’s competence self-perceptions. Boys (vs. girls) thought they were better than other children at the task they were negotiating for, and in turn, they also negotiated for more resources,” the authors conclude.
The roots of girls’ lower self-evaluations likely stem from societal norms, stereotypes and early experiences that subtly reinforce the idea that boys are more capable or deserving than girls. This lack of confidence can limit girls’ willingness to advocate for themselves, impacting not just childhood negotiations but also career opportunities and salary discussions later in life. Addressing this issue requires creating environments that encourage girls to recognize their abilities. Closing this confidence gap is critical to achieving gender equity in negotiations and pay.