Name Discrimination

Last registered on February 01, 2024

View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Name Discrimination

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0010110

Initial registration date

September 22, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

September 27, 2022, 11:43 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated

February 01, 2024, 10:26 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country

United States of America

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Martin Abel

Affiliation

Middlebury College

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Rulof Burger

PI Affiliation

Stellenbosch University

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2022-09-23

End date

2023-11-30

Keywords

Labor

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

We experimentally test for hiring discrimination based on applicants’ names. We first employ workers for a transcription task and record their productivity and first names. We then recruit a nationally representative sample for a hiring experiment and elicit their beliefs regarding characteristics of workers with these names and record participants hiring decisions.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Abel, Martin and Rulof Burger. 2024. "Name Discrimination." AEA RCT Registry. February 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10110-1.2

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention Start Date

2022-09-23

Intervention End Date

2022-11-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Beliefs about worker characteristics.
Hiring decisions.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We randomly assign hiring managers names of worker pairs for the belief elicitation and pairs of workers for the hiring decision.

In addition, we randomly assign the decision time available to hiring managers and whether workers receive a bonus for being hired.

More details are provided in the pre-analysis plan.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Randomization done by survey software

Randomization Unit

Individual

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

1500 participants

Sample size: planned number of observations

1500 participants make 10 hiring decisions each resulting in 15,000 hiring decisions.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

Worker names / pairs are randomized in equal proportion to hiring managers.

2/3 of hiring managers are assigned to the long decision time. 1/3 to the short decision time.

2/3 are assigned to no worker bonus. 1/3 are assigned to the worker bonus.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB