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  • © 2019

Diversity of Experimental Methods in Economics

  • Provides readers with an overview of the various experimental approaches used in modern economics
  • Helps experimental economists as well as behavioral economists rethink their methodology
  • Stimulates further inquiry into the experimental method for philosophers of the social sciences

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vi
  2. Diversity of Experimental Methods in Economics: An Introduction

    • Toshiji Kawagoe, Hirokazu Takizawa
    Pages 1-19
  3. Diversity in Experimental Methods

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 21-21
    2. Laboratory Experiments in Game Theory

      • Takizawa Hirokazu
      Pages 23-37
    3. The Field Experiment Revolution in Development Economics

      • Yasuyuki Sawada, Takeshi Aida
      Pages 39-60
    4. Experimental Research in Political Science

      • Naoko Taniguchi
      Pages 61-78
    5. Experiments in Psychology: Current Issues in Irrational Choice Behavior

      • Takeharu Igaki, Paul Romanowich, Takayuki Sakagami
      Pages 79-115
    6. Evolutionary Psychology and Economic Game Experiments

      • Yohsuke Ohtsubo, Hiroki Tanaka
      Pages 117-144

About this book

This is the first book that examines the diverse range of experimental methods currently being used in the social sciences, gathering contributions by working economists engaged in experimentation, as well as by a political scientist, psychologists and philosophers of the social sciences. Until the mid-twentieth century, most economists believed that experiments in the economic sciences were impossible. But that’s hardly the case today, as evinced by the fact that Vernon Smith, an experimental economist, and Daniel Kahneman, a behavioral economist, won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002.

However, the current use of experimental methods in economics is more diverse than is usually assumed. As the concept of experimentation underwent considerable abstraction throughout the twentieth century, the areas of the social sciences in which experiments are applied are expanding, creating renewed interest in, and multifaceted debates on, the way experimental methods are used.

This book sheds new light on the diversity of experimental methodologies used in the social sciences. The topics covered include historical insights into the evolution of experimental methods; the necessary “performativity” of experiments, i.e., the dynamic interaction with the social contexts in which they are embedded; the application of causal inferences in the social sciences; a comparison of laboratory, field, and natural experiments; and the recent use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in development economics. Several chapters also deal with the latest heated debates, such as those concerning the use of the random lottery method in laboratory experiments. 

Editors and Affiliations

  • Future University Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan

    Toshiji Kawagoe

  • Chuo University, Hachioji, Japan

    Hirokazu Takizawa

About the editors

Toshiji Kawagoe, Future University Hakodate


Hirokazu Takizawa, Chuo University

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access