What Can We Learn from Experiments? Understanding the Threats to the Scalability of Experimental Results

Omar Al-Ubaydli, John List and Dana L. Suskind

American Economic Review, 2017, vol. 107, issue 5, 282-86

Abstract: Policymakers often consider interventions at the scale of the population, or some other large scale. One of the sources of information about the potential effects of such interventions is experimental studies conducted at a significantly smaller scale. A common occurrence is for the treatment effects detected in these small-scale studies to diminish substantially in size when applied at the larger scale that is of interest to policymakers. This paper provides an overview of the main reasons for a breakdown in scalability. Understanding the principal mechanisms represents a first step toward formulating countermeasures that promote scalability.

JEL-codes: C21 C90 D82 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20171115
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (81)

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