Theory and Experiment: What are the questions?

Vernon Smith ()

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This paper deals generally with testing questions that arise both when experimental observations are in accord with the actions we predict, and when they are not. In both cases the inference of truth from observation is inherently ambiguous, and we face the daunting challenge of using our experimental skills and imagination to reduce this ambiguity. Primarily and most difficult of all we have to constantly reevaluate everything, including ourselves, especially in examining how we talk about and interpret our data. Although I will be drawing on examples and experience from laboratory experiments, the issues I consider apply just as meaningfully to other empirical studies whether from field experiments or observations from past records of socioeconomic processes.

Keywords: Experimental Economics; Game Theory; Methodology of Science (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-02-24
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00673671v1
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published in Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2009, 73 (1), pp.3. ⟨10.1016/j.jebo.2009.02.008⟩

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-00673671v1/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Theory and experiment: What are the questions? (2010)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00673671

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2009.02.008

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().