The Dynamics of Discrimination: Theory and Evidence

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bohren, J. Aislinn; Imas, Alex; Rosenberg, Michael
• 署名单位: University of Pennsylvania; Carnegie Mellon University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20171829
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 3395-3436
• 关键词: motor-vehicle searches; affirmative-action; racial bias; women; GENDER; REPRESENTATION; stereotypes; preference; PREJUDICE; promotion

摘要

We model the dynamics of discrimination and show how its evolution can identify the underlying source. We test these theoretical predictions in a field experiment on a large online platform where users post content that is evaluated by other users on the platform. We assign posts to accounts that exogenously vary by gender and evaluation histories. With no prior evaluations, women face significant discrimination. However, following a sequence of positive evaluations, the direction of discrimination reverses: women's posts are favored over men's. Interpreting these results through the lens of our model, this dynamic reversal implies discrimination driven by biased beliefs.