Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP7620
Authors: Armin Falk; James J. Heckman
Abstract: Laboratory experiments are a widely used methodology for advancing causal knowledge in the physical and life sciences. With the exception of psychology, the adoption of laboratory experiments has been much slower in the social sciences, although during the last two decades, the use of lab experiments has accelerated. Nonetheless, there remains considerable resistance among social scientists who argue that lab experiments lack "realism" and "generalizability". In this article we discuss the advantages and limitations of laboratory social science experiments by comparing them to research based on nonexperimental data and to field experiments. We argue that many recent objections against lab experiments are misguided and that even more lab experiments should be conducted.
Keywords: Controlled Variation; Field Experiments; Laboratory Experiments
JEL Codes: C90; C91; C92; C93; D00
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Higher wages in the gift exchange game (J31) | Higher effort levels from workers (J29) |
| Higher wages in the gift exchange game (J31) | Individuals exhibit bounded rationality and are influenced by social preferences such as reciprocity (D01) |