This research project received funding through the 2023 Institute for Diversity Science Seed Grant Program
Primary Investigator: Jacob Thebault-Spieker, Assistant Professor, Information School, UW–Madison
Abstract: Sharing economy apps, like DoorDash and Uber, risk discriminating against minoritized workers because of the 5-star rating system used to evaluate workers. However, prior work shows mixed results, and in some cases, does not find the kind of race- or gender-based bias that prior work on interpersonal ratings might suggest. This proposal seeks to extend prior work by PI Thebault-Spieker by working to develop further causal understanding of how and why biases do (or do not) occur in these sharing economy apps. Moreover, this proposal also aims to prototype a diversity science research infrastructure platform that will enable broad-based experimentation on these kinds of issues, both within the University of Wisconsin and externally. In doing so, PI Thebault-Spieker hopes to both make scholarly contributions to the fields of diversity science and human computer interaction, as well as lay the ground work for broader impact of diversity science at the University of Wisconsin and systematic meta-analysis across many different experimental conditions