Simulation-Based Behavioral Experiments on Active Representation

This article tests the implications of linking active representation in representative bureaucracy with social identity theory through experiments using a resource allocation simulation. The simulation places participants in the role of a health care manager who can improve overall health network performance by sharing resources with other clinics. Empirical results do not support the preregistered hypotheses stating greater sharing will occur when individual characteristics of a manager match the client. However, post hoc analysis reveals a contradiction of active representation for black females, highlighting the importance of considering more complex interactions when examining the mechanisms associated with representative bureaucracy.