Working Paper: NBER ID: w14356
Authors: Steven D. Levitt; John A. List
Abstract: This study presents an overview of modern field experiments and their usage in economics. Our discussion focuses on three distinct periods of field experimentation that have influenced the economics literature. The first might well be thought of as the dawn of "field" experimentation: the work of Neyman and Fisher, who laid the experimental foundation in the 1920s and 1930s by conceptualizing randomization as an instrument to achieve identification via experimentation with agricultural plots. The second, the large-scale social experiments conducted by government agencies in the mid-twentieth century, moved the exploration from plots of land to groups of individuals. More recently, the nature and range of field experiments has expanded, with a diverse set of controlled experiments being completed outside of the typical laboratory environment. With this growth, the number and types of questions that can be explored using field experiments has grown tremendously. After discussing these three distinct phases, we speculate on the future of field experimental methods, a future that we envision including a strong collaborative effort with outside parties, most importantly private entities.
Keywords: field experiments; economics; randomization; causal identification; public policy
JEL Codes: C9; C93; D0; H0
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Neyman and Fisher's work in the 1920s (C46) | randomization is established as a method for causal identification (C90) |
| randomization (C90) | estimation of causal effects in agricultural productivity (C51) |
| large-scale social experiments (C93) | influence public policy (D72) |
| social experiments (C93) | demonstrate impact of interventions on economic behavior (E71) |
| field experiments (C93) | bridge the gap between laboratory and naturally occurring data (C55) |
| randomization in real-world settings (C90) | exploration of economic phenomena (F40) |
| future collaborations with private entities (O36) | gain deeper insights into economic decision-making processes (D87) |