Sophie Arnold, New York University – Unraveling the Gender Gap in Negotiation

On this Student Spotlight during New York University Week:  Does the gender pay gap start in childhood?

Sophie Arnold, Ph.D. candidate in psychology, examines.

Sophie Arnold is PhD Candidate in Psychology at New York University. Her research investigates the early emerging beliefs and behaviors that contribute to real-world disparities like the gender wage gap. Her research has been published in top journals such as Psychological Science and the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and funded by the National Science Foundation.

Unraveling the Gender Gap in Negotiation

Wage gaps persist between men and women in workplaces across America, with negotiation playing a key role. Research has shown that women negotiate less frequently and ask for less than men. But when do these differences first emerge?

Our research with children ages 6 to 12 revealed that gender differences in negotiation begin early. When children completed work and negotiated their reward with an adult, boys asked for significantly more than girls. This wasn’t because boys performed better—they didn’t.

Instead, the gender gap emerged from two key factors. First, boys consistently overestimated their own performance compared to girls, even though their actual performance was equal. Second, boys were more likely to “push the boundaries” when they viewed negotiation positively. Girls often had equally positive views about negotiation—they thought that it was okay and common to make large requests—but they didn’t act on those views to actually make higher requests for themselves.

These findings suggest that negotiation differences between men and women may originate in childhood perceptions of competence and deservingness. Boys’ inflated self-perceptions and greater willingness to stretch the limits of acceptable requests combine to create early advantages in negotiation outcomes. Understanding these childhood roots of gender differences in negotiation provides new insights into addressing workplace inequities before they become entrenched.