Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP13113
Authors: Aislinn Bohren; Alex Imas; Michael Rosenberg
Abstract: 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.
Keywords: discrimination; dynamic behavior; field experiment
JEL Codes: J16; D83; D9
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| gender (J16) | initial evaluations (C52) |
| biased beliefs (D91) | initial discrimination (J71) |
| initial evaluations (C52) | changes in discrimination direction (J70) |
| positive evaluations (C52) | discrimination reversal (J71) |
| initial discrimination (J71) | evaluators' beliefs about women (J16) |