Assessing the Relationship Between Experimental and Self-Reported Measures of Discrimination in France

Abstract:

Measuring discrimination remains a critical challenge in social sciences, with experimental and self-reported methods often used in separated literature. This study bridges this gap investigating the relationship between experimental measures of gender and ethnic discrimination in hiring and self-reported discrimination among women and ethnic minorities. Utilizing a large-scale correspondence study conducted in France (N=13,560 job applications) alongside nationally representative survey data (N=13,893), we leverage geographic variations in experimentally measured hiring discrimination and match these with micro-level survey responses at a fine-grained spatial level. This approach allows us to assess whether individuals' subjective reports of discrimination align with objectively measured unequal treatment in hiring in the same areas.  The results indicate discrepancy between a general self-reported discrimination question and experimentally observed hiring discrimination. However, more specific survey questions about labor market discrimination show a stronger association with experimental measures for both women and minorities. Heterogeneity analyses underscore the importance of contextual factors in mediating the relationship between experimental evidence and self-reported discrimination, while individual-level variables, though significant in shaping perceived discrimination, do not appear to influence this relationship. These findings have important methodological implications and advance our understanding of the processes underlying perceived discrimination, particularly in the context of labor market inequities.