Classification algorithms and social outcomes.

Classification algorithms are increasingly important in areas such as obtaining credit, employment, health care, housing, law enforcement, and national security. These classification decisions affect people's lives and, accordingly, can shape their behaviors. We present a formal model of optimal cla...

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Publicado en:American Journal of Political Science (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 1229 - 1247
Autores principales: Penn, Elizabeth Maggie, Patty, John W.
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jul2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2026
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      pub: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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        atl: Classification algorithms and social outcomes.
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          Penn, Elizabeth Maggie
          Patty, John W.
        affil: Departments of Political Science and Data & Decision Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta Georgia, , USA
      su:
        Classification algorithms
        Social impact
        Social dynamics
        Social influence
        Algorithmic bias
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        subj:
          Classification algorithms
          Social impact
          Social dynamics
          Social influence
          Algorithmic bias
      ab: Classification algorithms are increasingly important in areas such as obtaining credit, employment, health care, housing, law enforcement, and national security. These classification decisions affect people's lives and, accordingly, can shape their behaviors. We present a formal model of optimal classification by an algorithm designer who may want to affect the distribution of behavior in a population. Our model allows the designer to have a wide array of objectives (such as maximizing compliance or maximizing accuracy, among many others), and these objectives shape equilibrium behavioral outcomes in the population, sometimes in surprising ways. Our results also speak to questions of algorithmic fairness in settings where behavior and algorithms are interdependent, and where measures of fairness focusing on statistical parity across groups may not be appropriate.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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