Gender-Linked Stereotypes and Motivation affect Performance in the Prisoner's Dilemma Game
40 men and 40 women played a Prisoner's Dilemma Game against a simulated partner for 30 trials. The task simulated corporate managerial decisions with a profit motive, and higher profits were obtained when subjects made noncooperative choices. All subjects received the same preprogrammed sequence of “partner” responses, and half played against a female, half against a male “partner.” The female “partner” received significantly more cooperative responses than the male. Trial blocks and the interaction of “partner's” gender with trial blocks were significant effects, and motivation played a significant interactive role that modulated subject's game behavior. Self-fulfilling confirmatory hypothesis testing appeared to be operative in the display of gender-linked stereotypes.