AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Who Is Biased? Heterogeneity in Gender Bias in Evaluations
AEA Papers and Proceedings
(pp. 594–598)
Abstract
Professor review websites are widely used by students but may transmit biased information. This paper examines who generates gender bias in teaching evaluations. Using scraped instructor data from RateMyProfessor.com, I document descriptive evidence of a gender gap. I then conduct a randomized experiment in which students evaluate identical teaching content delivered with male or female voice-overs. The results show a causal gender penalty of about 0.11 points on a 1–5 scale. This penalty is concentrated among students who actively post online reviews, suggesting that bias is driven by a subset of reviewers rather than the broader student population.Citation
El Khoury, Stephanie. 2026. "Who Is Biased? Heterogeneity in Gender Bias in Evaluations." AEA Papers and Proceedings 116: 594–598. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20261120Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination