Courses Master Display 2024-2025

Course Description To PDF
Course title Experimental Economics Methods
Course code EBS4026
ECTS credits 4,0
Assessment Pass / Fail
Period
Period Start End Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
6 23-6-2025 6-7-2025 C
Level Advanced
Coordinator Matthias Wibral
For more information: m.wibral@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Language of instruction English
Goals
Knowledge of:
Theory of experimental economics, controlled economic environments, induced value theory, internal validity, external validity, domain of experimental economics, methodological foundations of experimental design, paradigm of no deception, direct experimental control, between-subject design, within-subject design, indirect experimental control (randomisation), preference elicitation methods, selected topics from experimental economics, human-subjects research ethics.
Description
This course will cover the theoretical and methodological background, as well as practical issues of experimental work in economics and finance. The course will discuss methodological issues in the domain of economics experiments, internal validity, external validity, the role of experiments in theory testing and theory suggesting. It will also critically discuss norms and customs in experimental economics research, as well as the use of task related incentives and the no-deception paradigm. On the practical side the course will deal with the questions of: What makes an experimental design good or bad? What are the different degrees of independent observations? What are efficient dialogues with the data? Part of the course will be devoted to practical design issues and students will develop their own experiments as part of a final paper. Time will also be devoted to research ethics.
Literature
There is no one textbook that will cover the course. The literature will consist of a wide variety of readings including chapters from textbooks aimed at advanced graduates and contemporary research articles.
Prerequisites
Research master’s students only; Microeconomics at a research master’s level (e.g. EBC4061 Microeconomics I and EBC4204 Microeconomics II).
Teaching methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) PBL / Lecture / Assignment / Groupwork
Assessment methods (indicative; course manual is definitive) Final Paper / Attendance / Participation
Evaluation in previous academic year For the complete evaluation of this course please click "here"
This course belongs to the following programmes / specialisations
Master Economic and Financial Research - No specialisation Year 1 Elective Skill(s)