Instructions

David Freeman, Erik Kimbrough, Garrett Petersen and Hanh Tong
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Garrett Petersen: Simon Fraser University
Hanh Tong: Simon Fraser University

Discussion Papers from Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University

Abstract: A meta-analysis of instruction delivery and reinforcement methods in recent laboratory experiments reveals a wide and inconsistently-reported variety of practices and limited research evaluating their effectiveness. Thus we experimentally compare how methods of delivering and reinforcing experiment instructions impact subjects’ understanding. We report a one-shot individual decision task in which misunderstanding can be unambiguously identified in behavior and find that misunderstanding is prevalent in our control treatment which uses relatively standard experimental instructions. We find combinations of reinforcement methods that can eliminate half of subjects’ misunderstanding. Providing paper instructions is among the most effective of such methods.

Keywords: Attention; Comprehension; Instructions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35
Date: 2017-07-28
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Journal Article: Instructions (2018)
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