Measuring the Sources of Taste-Based Discrimination Using List Experiments

Ariel Listo (), Ercio A. Muñoz () and Dario Sansone
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Ariel Listo: University of Maryland
Ercio A. Muñoz: Inter-American Development Bank

No 17976, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper examines how attitudes among supervisors, co-workers, and customers are related to discrimination against sexual minority individuals in the workplace. Participants from a large, nationally representative online sample in Chile took part in double list experiments – which reduce social desirability bias when eliciting views on sensitive topics – followed by direct questions on attitudes toward sexual minority individuals. The findings reveal a discrepancy between reported and actual levels of comfort with gay individuals in the labor market. The respondents underreported their discomfort by 15-23 percentage points, with the largest bias and lowest comfort levels observed when they were asked about supervising gay employees. These attitudinal patterns were mirrored in incentivized donation behavior: individuals who chose not to donate any amount from a lottery to a local LGBTQ-related nonprofit reported lower comfort levels and exhibited greater misreporting. Finally, the respondents consistently underestimated the broader societal support for gay employees and co-workers.

Keywords: discrimination; Chile; LGBTQ+ (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D91 J15 J71 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-lma and nep-ltv
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Working Paper: Measuring the Sources of Taste-Based Discrimination Using List Experiments (2025)
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