1. Gender and Behavioural Biases in Team Decision Making: Evidence from a Monetary Policy Experiment (with Colin Green, Jacopo Magnani, and Yabin Wang)

Presented at COPE 2025; the 17th Nordic Conference in Behavioral and Experimental Economics

Abstract: We study how gender and behavioral biases shape group decision-making in a monetary policy context through a laboratory experiment. In the in-lab experiment, participants set interest rates under varying economic conditions to stabilize inflation and unemployment. We use a minimal committee structure where subjects are randomized into pairs where one is assigned as a chair and the other as an advisor. Our focus is on how committees, and specifically their gender composition, influences decision making. We demonstrate that committees outperform individuals, but that this is conditional on gender composition of committees. Male-Chair / female advisor committees significantly underperform. Subsequent analysis shows that male chairs adjust their decisions less to female advice. These results have implications for the performance of monetary policy committees as female membership increases, but where male chairs often still have final decision making powers.

2. Childbirth, Within Household Specialisation and Mental Health Outcomes (with Colin Green)