Experimental Economics

About

While experiments have been seen for long as a specific domain within economics, the experimental method is now widely considered as a tool among others in the typical economist’s toolbox. Its use has shed light on many areas, on the theoretical side (decision theory, game theory, markets) as on the more applied and descriptive ones (policy, development, labor economics, industrial organization, health economics, to name a few). It has led to the development of “behavioral economics”, but its general relevance runs deeper than that.

The objective of the Experimental Economics program is to offer young scholars a crash course in empirical methods aimed at understanding economic behavior: how to design, implement and analyze an experiment so to answer a research question. The summer school is methodological in nature, although typical results from behavioral economics will be introduced as examples and illustrations on how protocols are designed to overcome observation/measurement/identification issues. Participants will be trained in the aim of being able to soundly rely on experiments in their future research projects.

Structure:
The program is divided in three parts:
- a series of general lectures on experimental methodology : objectives, methods and uses of experiments in economics, Nicolas Jacquemet
- a series of specialized classes on specific methodological topics. Methods and tricks of the trade, Béatrice Boulu‐Reshef / Preferences over time and uncertainty, Olivier l’Haridon / Psychometric methods, Fabrice Etilé / Econometrics for experimental data, Angelo Secchi
- workshop sessions where participants present and refine their experimental projects, with feedback from the school’s speakers.

Workshop sessions :
Some sessions are dedicated to the interaction of experienced researchers in the field with the participants of the summer school. The purpose is to have the participants’ projects discussed or deepened by discussions (based on short presentations) with speakers from the lectures. On-going projects (experimental design conception) are welcome and encouraged, rather than already run experiments, to permit a maximal methodological gain. Participants not yet involved in projets are expected to discuss others’ works. The workshop will be moderated by Béatrice Boulu-Reshef, Fabrice Etilé, Nicolas Jacquemet, Fabrice Le Lec, Olivier L’Haridon and Angelo Secchi.

Course leader

Programme Director: Fabrice Le Lec is a full professor at the University of Lille. Webpage: http://lelec.fr/

Target group

Prerequisites:
A solid background in economics/microeconomics, basic knowledge of econometrics and statistics and a working command of English.

How will professionals benefit from the programme:
Rigorous experimental methodology are often overlooked in professional environments, despite their huge advantages in terms of evaluation. This programme will allow you to design experiments that will give a robust assessment of the effect of an intervention on economic behavior.

How will students benefit from the programme:
Experimental methodologies are often not part of the standard curriculum, despite the generality of its benefits (applied/professional research; fundamental research). This course will provide a crash course in experimental methods aimed at understanding economic behavior, giving you the ability to soundly rely on experiments in your future research projects.

Course aim

The program offers an overview of experimental methods and techniques aimed at understanding economic behavior: how to design, implement and analyze an experiment so to answer a research question

Fee info