Field Experiments in Economics: Palgrave Entry

John List and David Reiley ()

No 3273, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Field experiments occupy a middle ground between laboratory experiments and naturally occurring field data. The idea is to perform a controlled experiment that captures important characteristics of the real world. Relative to traditional empirical economics, field experiments provide an advantage by creating exogenous variation in the variables of interest, allowing us to establish causality rather than mere correlation. Relative to a laboratory experiment, a field experiment gives up some of the control that a laboratory experimenter may have over her environment in exchange for increased realism.

Keywords: field; experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 9 pages
Date: 2008-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Published - published in: Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume (eds.), The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, Second Edition, 2008

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