Vignette experiments are increasingly being used to measure ethnic, religious or gender-based discrimination. As hypothetical descriptions of people are presented, the method is considered suitable for recording sensitive information in an ethically acceptable and unobtrusive manner. Discrimination by respondents can be causally attributed to the characteristics presented. However, the application is based on the assumption that the results obtained by means of vignette experiments allow conclusions to be drawn about actual discriminatory behavior in real situations. The project uses the example of international university graduates in the German labor market to validate the results of a vignette experiment using a correspondence test among employers from different industries and labor market segments. The extent to which possible discrimination observed in the field experiment can be replicated in the vignette experiment will be investigated, ensuring the greatest possible comparability. The aim is to make generalizable statements about the validity of vignette experiments in measuring discrimination.
Duration: 07/2023 - 06/2024
Dipl.-Soz. Franz Fregin (Research Assistant)
Antonia Pielok (student assistant)
Petzold, Knut (3.5.2024). On the behavioral validation of vignette experiments. Conceptual foundations and empirical findings using the example of discrimination research. Guest lecture at the Institute of Sociology, Department of Methods of Empirical Social Research, Johannes Kepler University Linz.
