Working Paper: NBER ID: w12992
Authors: John A. List
Abstract: Laboratory experiments have been used extensively in economics in the past several decades to lend both positive and normative insights into a myriad of important economic issues. This study discusses a related approach that has increasingly grown in prominence of late--field experiments. I argue that field experiments serve as a useful bridge between data generated in the lab and empirical studies using naturally-occurring data. In discussing this relationship, I highlight that field experiments can yield important insights into economic theory and provide useful guidance to policymakers. I also draw attention to an important methodological contribution of field experiments: they provide an empirical account of behavioral principles that are shared across different domains. In this regard, at odds with conventional wisdom, I argue that representativeness of the environment, rather than representative of the sampled population, is the most crucial variable in determining generalizability of results for a large class of experimental laboratory games.
Keywords: Field Experiments; Laboratory Economics; Behavioral Economics; Policy Implications
JEL Codes: C9; C90; C91; C92; C93; D01; H41; Q5; Q51
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| field experiments (C93) | bridge between laboratory and naturally occurring data (C55) |
| field experiments (C93) | insights into economic behavior (D01) |
| proper utilization of field experiments (C93) | stronger inferences (C20) |
| field experiments (C93) | generalizability of lab results (C91) |
| field experiments (C93) | empirical accounts of behavioral principles (D01) |
| field experiments (C93) | understanding of economic theory (D11) |
| field experiments (C93) | informing policymakers (D78) |