ESRA 2025 Preliminary Program
All time references are in CEST
Vignette Experiments in Survey Research: Exploring Discrimination Mechanisms through Controlled Scenarios |
| Session Organisers |
Professor Giovanni Busetta (University of Messina)
Professor Maria Gabriella Campolo (University of Messina)
Dr Louis Lippens (Ghent University)
|
| Time | Thursday 17 July, 13:30 - 15:00 |
| Room |
Ruppert 042 |
Discrimination remains one of the most pervasive and complex social challenges today. Vignette experiments offer a powerful methodological tool to investigate these phenomena in controlled settings, allowing researchers to manipulate relevant variables and observe participants' responses. This type of experiment provides significant advantages in measuring discriminatory attitudes and intentions that might not surface through traditional methods, such as questionnaires or correspondence experiments.
This session aims to explore the use of vignette experiments in social research to study the mechanisms of discrimination, focusing on grounds including race, gender, age, and sexual orientation. We will examine the methodological benefits of vignettes, such as the ability to systematically control contextual and personal factors, as well as the challenges related to their implementation, including the interpretation and generalizability of the findings.
We invite theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions that use vignette experiments to investigate discrimination dynamics and their effects at individual and societal levels. The session aims to foster discussions on enhancing the quality of data collected through experiments, reducing Total Survey Error, and reflecting on how we can apply these techniques to future social research.
Keywords: Vignette experiments, Discrimination mechanisms, Implicit bias, Ethnicity, Gender
Papers
Can we predict ethnic discrimination with vignette experiments? A field validation from the German labour market
Professor Knut Petzold (Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences) - Presenting Author
Vignette experiments are increasingly used to investigate ethnic, religious or gender-based discrimination. Since hypothetical descriptions of people are presented, the method is considered suitable for collecting sensitive information in an ethically justifiable and unobtrusive manner. Discriminatory response behaviour can be causally attributed to the characteristics presented. However, the application is based on the assumption that the results obtained through vignette experiments allow conclusions to be drawn about actual discriminatory behavior in real situations, which has so far been inadequately tested.
We challenge this assumption as the results of a vignette experiment are being validated using a respective field experiment. By the example of international university graduates in the German labor market, who apply for job offers at a online-platform, a correspondence test among employers in different industries and labor market segments (n = 864) provides the behavioural data. We investigate to what extent possible discrimination rates in employers' responses observed in the field experiment can be replicated in a vignette experiment among the same employers, while ensuring the greatest possible comparability. We conclude with some implications on the predictive validity of vignette experiments when measuring ethnic discrimination.
Expanding vignette experiments: Using application videos to analyze discrimination in hiring
Miss Juliane Kuehn (Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg) - Presenting Author
Vignette experiments, alongside correspondence studies, are widely used to examine discrimination in hiring based on personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, or physical attractiveness. However, these methods predominantly capture discrimination in the initial recruitment phase, focusing solely on written materials. They overlook subsequent stages of the hiring process, particularly personal interviews, where factors such as voice, language, posture, or perceived likeability significantly influence hiring decisions.
This study extends existing vignette methodologies by integrating application videos alongside written documents. Application videos create a more realistic hiring context by introducing additional evaluation criteria and providing richer information about applicants. This approach can reduce stereotypical perceptions and mitigate statistical discrimination, especially for marginalized groups.
To isolate the causal effects of individual characteristics, the study employs deepfake technology to manipulate attributes systematically. For example, face-swapping technology alters an applicant’s external appearance while keeping the audio track constant, isolating the impact of appearance-based discrimination. Alternatively, the external appearance can remain fixed while varying the audio track to assess the influence of vocal characteristics.
Preliminary findings suggest that ethnic minorities, particularly applicants with African or Asian appearances, benefit from the inclusion of application videos, while applicants with German appearances experience no disadvantages. A subsequent vignette experiment will assess the generalizability of these findings, exploring how effects vary with applicants’ performance levels and identifying conditions under which application videos effectively reduce discrimination.
By bridging the gap between written evaluations and interpersonal stages of recruitment, this research advances vignette methodologies and provides actionable insights for designing fairer hiring practices. Application videos are a promising tool for mitigating biases in recruitment while enhancing the realism and robustness of experimental approaches to studying discrimination.
Gender and Ethnic Discrimination in Hiring: a Vignette Experiment in the Italian Labour Market
Professor Giovanni Busetta (University of Messina) - Presenting Author
Professor Maria Gabriella Campolo (University of Messina)
Dr Giovanni Maria Ficarra (University of Messina)
Professor Alessandra Trimarchi (University of Messina)
Discrimination based on gender and ethnicity remains a persistent obstacle to achieving equity in labor markets. Despite significant advances in understanding discriminatory practices, much of the existing research is limited to the early stages of recruitment, often neglecting how these biases evolve throughout the hiring process and their impact on career advancement. Traditional methodologies, such as field experiments, provide valuable insights but fall short of capturing the complexities of multifaceted biases, especially when gender and ethnicity intersect.
This study addresses these gaps by employing a factorial survey experiment to investigate hiring discrimination in the Italian labor market. Factorial surveys, also known as vignette experiments, allow for a more nuanced examination of employer decision-making by simulating realistic hiring scenarios. This approach enables us to assess whether discriminatory practices arise from taste-based biases, driven by personal preferences, or from statistical discrimination, rooted in generalized stereotypes about certain groups.
The research focuses on understanding the interplay between gender and ethnicity in recruitment practices, exploring how these factors independently and jointly influence perceptions of candidate suitability. By adopting an intersectional perspective, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying discrimination, while providing a flexible methodological framework applicable to diverse contexts.
In addition to examining hiring practices, we emphasize the importance of expanding experimental approaches to include additional stages of the employment process, such as interviews and career advancement opportunities. This broader perspective allows for a more comprehensive analysis of labor market inequalities.
By focusing on the Italian labor market, this research offers context-specific insights into employer behavior, with implications for broader discussions on diversity and inclusion in workplaces. The study aims to contribute to the development of policies that foster equity, promote inclusivity, and reduce discriminatory barriers in employment.
