Design and Data Analysis for Experiments

Urs Fischbacher

Doctoral Programme in Quantitative Economics and Finance Course

Overview:

Experiments have developed to become an established method in economics, in addition to theory and the empirical analysis of field data. Econometrically, experiments have important advantages compared to non experimental data sets. They allow controlling the parameters of the situation, which reduces uncontrolled variance. Most importantly, exogenous treatment variations allow drawing causal conclusions. Nevertheless, there are also econometrical problems typical for experimental data. Data sets are small, variables are often discrete and the interaction in a typical experiment creates dependencies in the data. In this course, I will give an introduction to the experimental method and discuss the econometrical problem typical in the analysis of economic experiments. A special focus is given to solutions of the replication crisis.

Contents: 

Experience experiments
Experimental method – advantages and limits of experiments
Non-parametric tests
Experimental design
Applications to different experiment types
Modeling economic behavior and testing theories
Heterogeneity
Practical questions: Data collection and organization

Literature:

-Nicholas Bardsley, Robin Cubitt, Graham Loomes, Peter Moffatt, Chris Starmer & Robert Sugden, Experimental Economics: Rethinking the Rules, Princeton University Press.
-Daniel Friedman and Shyam Sunder. Experimental Methods: A Primer for Economists. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
-Peter G. Moffatt. Experimetrics - Econometrics for Experimental Economics. Palgrave Macmillan,
2015.
-Sidney Siegel and N. John, Jr. Castellan. Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences. (difficult to get).
-James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson. Introduction to Econometrics, Addison-Wesley Longman, Amsterdam.
-Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke. Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion.

Credits:

2 hours (6 ECTS)

Dates:

Friday, 12/04/24, 8:30-12:00 & 13:30-17:30
Thursday, 18/04/24, 8:30-12:00 & 13:30-17:30
Friday, 19/04/24, 8:30-12:00 & 13:30-17:30

Location:

Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut
Hafenstrasse 6
CH-8280 Kreuzlingen

or online: Zoom Link

ZEuS

Registration:

send a E-Mail with your Matrikelno to Ms. Madeleine Hafner