What the study found
The study found evidence that men were more likely than women to seek advice beyond the baseline guidance provided for a two-sided matching algorithm, which is a system that matches two groups of participants to each other. This extra advice seeking was associated with deeper understanding and better success with the algorithm.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that group-based differences can appear even when the algorithm itself is unbiased, because people may navigate and understand new algorithms differently. The study suggests that gender-shaped advice seeking can affect how well participants do in matching systems.
What the researchers tested
The researchers studied the National Residency Matching Program, or NRMP, which uses a two-sided matching algorithm to place graduating medical students into residencies in the United States. They used archival data from medical students' responses in an incentivized simulation of the NRMP and conducted 66 interviews with medical students going through the match.
What worked and what didn't
The findings support the idea that men were more likely than women to seek additional advice beyond the baseline guidance. The study also found that this was linked to better understanding of the algorithm and greater success with it.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe specific limitations beyond the study's focus on the NRMP and its participants. The summary provided here is limited to the information in the title and abstract.
Key points
- Men were more likely than women to seek advice beyond the baseline guidance for the matching algorithm.
- Additional advice seeking was linked to deeper understanding of the algorithm.
- Men's greater advice seeking was associated with more success in the matching process.
- The study focused on the NRMP, which matches graduating medical students to residencies in the U.S.
- The authors argue that differences can occur even when the algorithm itself is unbiased.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Men sought more advice and used the matching algorithm more successfully
- Authors:
- Samuel Skowronek, Joyce He
- Institutions:
- University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Los Angeles
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-13
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with scholarly research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.