Vignette Experiments in Survey Research: Exploring Discrimination Mechanisms through Controlled Scenarios |
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| Coordinator 1 | Professor Giovanni Busetta (University of Messina) |
| Coordinator 2 | Professor Maria Gabriella Campolo (University of Messina) |
| Coordinator 3 | Dr Louis Lippens (Ghent University) |
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.