Anatomy of an Audit Study

A quarter-million identical emails. One changed name. The gap between the reply rates is the finding — this is the PNAS audit, replayed.

white-signaling name sent 0 · replies 0 –

Black-signaling name sent 0 · replies 0 –

live relative gap: –paper: −15.5%

reply rates are the paper's — 1.6% vs 1.4% across 250,000 emails to the American public, a 15.5% relative gap; among elected officials the gap shrinks to ~6%. the pace is compressed for the screen.

Block, Crabtree, Holbein & Monson, “Are Americans less likely to reply to emails from Black people relative to White people?” PNAS 2021

senders — same email, different name

recipients