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A Comment on "Gender Bias in Parental Attitude: An Experimental Approach" by Begum, Grossman and Islam (2018)

Author

Listed:
  • Hammar, Olle
  • Bonander, Carl
  • Bensch, Gunther
  • Jakobsson, Niklas
  • Brodeur, Abel

Abstract

Begum et al. (2018) study gender bias in parental attitudes using an experimental approach in rural Bangladesh. Households are reported as randomly assigned to treatment conditions in a lab-in-the-field allocation task. We show that the group assignment was inherited from Islam (2019), a previous non-randomized experiment conducted in the same region. The lack of randomization contradicts the design descriptions provided by the authors in Begum et al. (2018) and elsewhere, and raise concerns about the validity of comparisons across treatment groups. It also points to serious shortcomings in the reporting and transparency of the study design-issues that mirror those that led to the retraction of Islam (2019) from the European Economic Review.

Suggested Citation

  • Hammar, Olle & Bonander, Carl & Bensch, Gunther & Jakobsson, Niklas & Brodeur, Abel, 2025. "A Comment on "Gender Bias in Parental Attitude: An Experimental Approach" by Begum, Grossman and Islam (2018)," I4R Discussion Paper Series 267, The Institute for Replication (I4R).
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:i4rdps:267
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/328047/1/I4R-DP267.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lutfunnahar Begum & Philip J Grossman & Asad Islam, 2022. "Parental gender bias and investment in children’s health and education: evidence from Bangladesh [Child gender and parental investments in India: Are boys and girls treated differently?]," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 74(4), pages 1045-1062.
    2. Lutfunnahar Begum & Philip J. Grossman & Asadul Islam, 2018. "Gender Bias in Parental Attitude: An Experimental Approach," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(5), pages 1641-1662, October.
    3. Islam, Asad, 2019. "Parent–teacher meetings and student outcomes: Evidence from a developing country," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 273-304.
    4. Lutfunnahar Begum & Philip J. Grossman & Asadul Islam, 2014. "Identifying Gender Bias in Parental Attitude: An Experimental Approach," Monash Economics Working Papers 32-14, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    JEL classification:

    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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