"How Do Single-Parent Family Backgrounds Affect Marriage Opportunities? Evidence from Field Experiments in the Marriage Market", Prof. Haoran HE, Department of Economics, Business School, Beijing Normal University
Title: How Do Single-Parent Family Backgrounds Affect Marriage Opportunities? Evidence from Field Experiments in the Marriage Market
Speaker: Prof. Haoran HE, Department of Economics, Business School, Beijing Normal University
Date: March 26, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 14:00–15:30
Location: T7-106-R1
Abstract:
We investigate how and why single-parent family (SPF) backgrounds affect marriage market opportunities via two field experiments in a large online dating market. In the first field experiment, by creating fictitious dater profiles with varying family backgrounds and sending dating invitations to real online daters, we find that children from SPFs receive significantly fewer responses than those from intact families. This discrimination is severer for children from single-father families than for those from single-mother families. Sons from single-father families face significantly less discrimination than those from single-mother families, and vice versa for daughters. These asymmetric patterns are consistent with our theoretical model in which gender differences in mate preferences play a central role in shaping discriminatory behavior. To validate this model, we conduct the second field experiment in which we exogenously manipulate the disclosure of positive and negative non-material personal characteristics in fictitious profiles, and examines whether their effects on discrimination differ by children’s gender. Consistent with the model’s predictions, we find that disclosing either positive or negative non-material characteristics significantly reduces discrimination against women from SPFs, but has no significant effect on discrimination for men.
Speaker Bio:
He Haoran is a Jinshi Chaired Professor at Beijing Normal University, holds a PhD in Economics from Gothenburg University, Sweden, is a selected candidate for the National Youth Talent Program, and is a national first-level athlete. His main research areas include behavioral economics, experimental economics, labor markets, prosocial behavior, team decision-making, and public policy evaluation. In recent years, he has published papers in journals such as Economic Journal, Journal of Labor Economics, Experimental Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Social Choice and Welfare, Journal of Economic Psychology, Economics Letters, China Economic Review, 《管理世界》, 《经济学（季刊）》, 《世界经济》.
