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Field experiments in economics: The past, the present, and the future

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Author Info
Levitt, Steven D.
List, John A.

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Abstract

This study presents an overview of modern field experiments and their usage in economics. Our discussion focuses on three distinct periods of field experimentation that have influenced the economics literature. The first might well be thought of as the dawn of "field" experimentation: the work of Neyman and Fisher, who laid the experimental foundation in the 1920s and 1930s by conceptualizing randomization as an instrument to achieve identification via experimentation with agricultural plots. The second, the large-scale social experiments conducted by government agencies in the mid-twentieth century, moved the exploration from plots of land to groups of individuals. More recently, the nature and range of field experiments has expanded, with a diverse set of controlled experiments being completed outside of the typical laboratory environment. With this growth, the number and types of questions that can be explored using field experiments has grown tremendously. After discussing these three distinct phases, we speculate on the future of field experimental methods, a future that we envision including a strong collaborative effort with outside parties, most importantly private entities.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Elsevier in its journal European Economic Review.

Volume (Year): 53 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 1-18
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Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:53:y:2009:i:1:p:1-18

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Keywords: Field experiments;

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References listed on IDEAS
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. David A. Savage & Benno Torgler, 2009. "Nerves of Steel? Stress, Work Performance and Elite Athletes," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 251, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, revised 24 Sep 2009. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. John List, 2008. "Introduction to field experiments in economics with applications to the economics of charity," Experimental Economics, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 203-212, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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