Scrutiny in Economic Experiments
One reason lab results may not reflect the real world is the effect of scrutiny. In a laboratory, participants know they are being observed by researchers, which can cause them to behave differently—often more in line with perceived social norms—than they would in anonymous, real-world situations. This phenomenon is related to the Hawthorne effect.
0
1
Tags
Economics
Economy
The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
CORE Econ
Social Science
Empirical Science
Science
Related
Scrutiny in Economic Experiments
Artificiality of Experimental Tasks and Environments
Stakes in Economic Experiments
Self-Selection and Participant Pools in Economic Experiments
A key 2007 study examined why behavior in controlled economic experiments might not reflect real-world actions. Match each factor identified as a potential cause for this discrepancy with the scenario that best illustrates it.
Explaining Discrepancies Between Lab and Field Observations
In a university laboratory, an experiment finds that 80% of student participants, when given a $20 endowment, choose to give half of it to an anonymous peer. However, university records show that the average student donation to a campus-wide charity drive is less than $5 per year. Based on the central critiques of a prominent 2007 study on the external validity of lab experiments, which of the following provides the most comprehensive explanation for this discrepancy?
A central argument in critiques of laboratory-based economic experiments is that the artificiality and scrutiny of the lab environment systematically cause participants to behave more selfishly than they would in comparable real-world situations.
Evaluating Experimental Designs for External Validity
Learn After
A researcher conducts a laboratory experiment where participants, in the presence of the researcher, are given $10 and can choose to donate any portion to a charity. The average donation is observed to be $4. Based on the primary critiques presented in a major 2007 study on the external validity of lab experiments, which factor is most likely to explain why this observed generosity might not translate to real-world situations?
A researcher conducts a lab experiment (Study 1) where participants, aware they are being monitored, decide how much of a $10 endowment to share with an anonymous partner. The researcher then conducts a field experiment (Study 2) with a similar task but with participants who are not aware their choices are being observed. Based on a prominent 2007 critique regarding the influence of the experimental environment on behavior, which outcome is most likely?