Gender differences in response to contingent rewards: Evidence from a natural experiment of junior tennis

• We examine gender differences in response to contingent rewards at a young age.
• We exploit an exogenous change in incentive to play doubles in junior tennis tournaments.
• Boys positively respond to the change in the incentive while only top-ranked girls do.
• There is neither subversive nor slack response from boys and girls.

We investigate gender differences in responding to contingent rewards by exploiting a natural experiment in junior tennis tournaments in Florida where the ranking point system was revised to induce more players to play doubles. The new point system increased the points earned from wins in singles matches significantly if the two thirds or more of players in their sex/age group chose to play doubles. We examine three types of potential responses to the new system: (1) a ‘positive’ response of playing doubles more by singles winners, (2) a ‘subversive’ response of playing doubles less by singles losers, and (3) a ‘slack’ response of playing loosely in their doubles matches by singles winners. We find strong evidence on the positive response among boys and top-ranked girls but no evidence for subversive and slack responses.