313 - Special Session. Audits and Field Experiments

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Abstract

Audit studies and other field experiments allow researchers to make strong causal claims and explore questions that are often difficult to answer with observational data.  These experiments have grown in popularity, particularly to examine different types of discrimination, with the rise of online applications for housing and employment.  In recent years, sociologists, economists, and political scientists have implemented creative and influential computerized field experiments.  However, the learning curve for designing and implementing these experiments online can be quite steep, despite appearing to be a simple and cheap alternative to traditional experiments.  In this panel, experienced scholars will share insights from both their success and failures in designing and implementing audits and other field experiments.  In addition, the scholars will discuss new techniques and cutting-edge methods in this area.

Sub Unit

• Special Sessions

Session Organizer

• S. Michael Gaddis, Pennsylvania State University

Presider

• S. Michael Gaddis, Pennsylvania State University

Individual Presentations

• Résumé Audits in Unconventional Contexts: Auditing Chinese State-Owned Enterprises and Elite U.S. Law Firms - András Tilcsik, University of Toronto

• The Stigma of Place: Choosing a Socially Relevant Definition of Neighborhood in an Experimental Audit Study - Max Besbris, New York University; Jacob William Faber, New York University; Peter M. Rich, New York University

• Which Jobs, Which Schools, Which Resumes?: Challenges in Designing and Conducting a Labor Market Resume Study - William J. Carbonaro, University of Notre Dame; Jonathan D. Schwarz, University of Notre Dame

• Auditing Audit Studies: How Name Perception and Selection Underestimates Racial Discrimination - S. Michael Gaddis, Pennsylvania State University

Discussant

• Raj Andrew Ghoshal, Goucher College