Online auctions as a research tool: A field experiment on ethnic discrimination

It is argued that online auctions offer a promising new platform for conducting field experiments in various areas of psychology. Both advantages and problems associated with the new method are discussed. To demonstrate its feasibility, a field experiment on ethnic discrimination was conducted. In an online auction, user names identified two sellers as being either of German or Turkish origin. Parallel sets of DVD movie discs were offered by both sellers. Contrary to previous research showing considerable discrimination against members of the Turkish minority in everyday situations, seller ethnicity had no effect on sale prices and number of bidders. However, auctions conducted under the German user name received their winning bids earlier than those run under the Turkish user name.