The Impact of Age on Nationality Bias and Cultural Proximity Bias: Evidence from Ski-Jumping

This empirical research explores the impact of age on nationality and cultural proximity bias. World Cup competition data suggest that judges of professional ski-jumping competitions prefer jumpers of their own nationality as well as those with a similar cultural background and exhibit this preference by rewarding them with better marks. Furthermore, the current study reveals that this nationality bias is diminished among younger judges, in accordance with the reported lower levels of national discrimination among younger generations. The interaction of age and cultural proximity between judge and jumper is insignificant, though.