Exploring whether behavior in context-free experiments is predictive of behavior in the field: Evidence from lab and field experiments in rural Sierra Leone

Maarten Voors (), Ty Turley, Andreas Kontoleon, Erwin Bulte and John List

Economics Letters, 2012, vol. 114, issue 3, 308-311

Abstract: We use a sample of subsistence farmers in Sierra Leone as respondents to compare behavior in a context-free experiment (a standard public goods game) and behavior in the field (a real development intervention). There is no meaningful correlation in behavior across contexts. This casts doubt on the prospect of using lab experiments as “predictors” of behavior in real life.

Keywords: Lab games; Field experiments; Community driven development; External validity; Pro-social preferences; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C9 D03 O12 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (46)

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Working Paper: Exploring whether behavior in context-free experiments is predictive of behavior in the field: Evidence from lab and field experiments in rural sierra leone (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:114:y:2012:i:3:p:308-311

DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2011.10.016

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