Meeting IDEE meetings

Speaker 1: Jonathan Neil Chapman (University of Bologna)

Title: DOSE: A User Package for Adaptive Preference Elicitation

Abstract: Adaptive elicitation methods offer a theoretically appealing approach for measuring economic preferences. However, designing and implementing adaptive experiments can be challenging for researchers. We introduce the new DOSE user package, which provides tools to design, simulate, and implement adaptive preference elicitation experiments. The package includes ready-to-use elicitation modules for Qualtrics, oTree, and SurveyCTO, as well as a Python toolkit for developing, simulating, and evaluating customized DOSE modules. 

Speaker 2: Natalia Montinari (University of Bologna)

Title: The Care Taboo: Masculinity Norms, Intergenerational Transmission, and Men's Entry into Care Work (with Luca Di Corato (Ca' Foscari University of Venice) and Federica Esposito (University of Bologna))

Abstract: Care occupations such as nursing, early childhood education and elderly care face growing labor shortages in Italy and in many other ageing societies. Yet men remain largely absent from these jobs. Research and policy have focused on women in male-dominated fields, while men's absence from care work has received little attention. This project studies whether masculinity norms keep men out of care occupations, and whether low-cost informational interventions can reduce these barriers.

We focus on parents' career advice, which tends to steer sons, but not daughters, away from gender-atypical jobs. We distinguish two mechanisms: internalized norms and pluralistic ignorance, that is, the mistaken belief that most others disapprove of men in care.

We run online survey experiments i) with a representative sample of Italian adults, ii) with parents of adolescents aged 13-14 who are about to choose high school (and their children), and iii) with parents of young people aged 18-19 who are about to choose university (and their children). In a 2×2 design, respondents receive a correction of misperceived norms, a male care role model, both, or neither. In a vignette, they evaluate a parent who encourages a son or daughter toward a care career. Among parents we also measure real choices, such as registering for an orientation webinar.

The project provides causal evidence on a neglected labor market distortion and tests scalable tools for career guidance.