IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ireced/v35y2020ics1477388020300268.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A classroom experimental game to improve the understanding of asymmetric common-pool resource dilemmas in irrigation water management

Author

Listed:
  • Farolfi, Stefano
  • Erdlenbruch, Katrin

Abstract

We describe a classroom experimental game focusing on some key economic concepts surrounding water management. The game shows the case of an asymmetric common-pool resource: an irrigation system where players represent irrigating farmers. Dilemmas between individual and collective interests arise, and asymmetry of access to the resource renders it more difficult to reach a cooperative equilibrium. The game is used to test hypotheses about the influence of communication and of water availability on players’ cooperation, hence on the group’s ability to reach equilibrium. The game was used in multiple postgraduate teaching contexts. We show the example of a session played in Tunisia, where communication had a strong and positive impact on cooperation, and compare the results of that session with those of another played in South Africa, where different outcomes emerged from the game. We then discuss the advantages and the limitations of such an experimental game for teaching purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • Farolfi, Stefano & Erdlenbruch, Katrin, 2020. "A classroom experimental game to improve the understanding of asymmetric common-pool resource dilemmas in irrigation water management," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:35:y:2020:i:c:s1477388020300268
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2020.100199
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388020300268
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iree.2020.100199?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Janssen, Marco A. & Anderies, John M. & Cardenas, Juan-Camilo, 2011. "Head-enders as stationary bandits in asymmetric commons: Comparing irrigation experiments in the laboratory and the field," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1590-1598, July.
    2. Brozovic, Nicholas & Schlenker, Wolfram, 2011. "Optimal management of an ecosystem with an unknown threshold," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 627-640, February.
    3. David L. Dickinson, 2002. "A Bargaining Experiment to Motivate Discussion on Fairness," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 136-151, June.
    4. Anderies, John M. & Janssen, Marco A. & Lee, Allen & Wasserman, Hannah, 2013. "Environmental variability and collective action: Experimental insights from an irrigation game," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 166-176.
    5. Charles Holt & Erica Myers & Markus Wrake & Dallas Burtraw & Svante Mandell, 2010. "Teaching Opportunity Cost in an Emissions Permit Experiment," International Review of Economic Education, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 9(2), pages 34-42.
    6. James Andreoni & William Harbaugh & Lise Vesterlund, 2003. "The Carrot or the Stick: Rewards, Punishments, and Cooperation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 893-902, June.
    7. Marco Janssen & John Anderies & Sanket Joshi, 2011. "Coordination and cooperation in asymmetric commons dilemmas," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 14(4), pages 547-566, November.
    8. Bruno Bonté & Stefano Farolfi & Nils Ferrand & Géraldine Abrami & Mamadou Ciss Diallo & Dimitri Dubois & Anne Johannet & Nils Ferrand, 2019. "Building new kinds of meta-models to analyse experimentally (companion) modelling processes in the field of natural resource management," Post-Print hal-02277141, HAL.
    9. Julia de Frutos cachorro & Katrin Erdlenbruch & Mabel Tidball, 2019. "Sharing a groundwater resource in a context of regime shifts," Post-Print hal-02090714, HAL.
    10. Gary E. Bolton & Rami Zwick & Elena Katok, 1998. "Dictator game giving: Rules of fairness versus acts of kindness," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 27(2), pages 269-299.
    11. Jay R. Corrigan, 2011. "The Pollution Game: A Classroom Game Demonstrating the Relative Effectiveness of Emissions Taxes and Tradable Permits," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 70-78, January.
    12. Frank, Bjorn, 1997. "The Impact of Classroom Experiments on the Learning of Economics: An Empirical Investigation," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(4), pages 763-769, October.
    13. Linda K. Carter & Tisha L. N. Emerson, 2012. "In-Class vs. Online Experiments: Is There a Difference?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 4-18, January.
    14. Erdlenbruch, Katrin & Tidball, Mabel & van Soest, Daan, 2008. "Renewable resource management, user heterogeneity, and the scope for cooperation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 597-602, January.
    15. Rodrigo-González, Amalia & Caballer-Tarazona, María, 2015. "A model to assess students’ social responsibility behavior within a classroom experiment," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 62-82.
    16. Hazlett, Denise, 1997. "A Common Property Experiment with a Renewable Resource," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(4), pages 858-861, October.
    17. Julia Frutos Cachorro & Katrin Erdlenbruch & Mabel Tidball, 2019. "Sharing a Groundwater Resource in a Context of Regime Shifts," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(4), pages 913-940, April.
    18. Therese Lindahl & Anne-Sophie Crépin & Caroline Schill, 2016. "Potential Disasters can Turn the Tragedy into Success," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(3), pages 657-676, November.
    19. Guilbaud, Julie & Massé, Anthony & Andrès, Yves & Combe, François & Jaouen, Pascal, 2012. "Influence of operating conditions on direct nanofiltration of greywaters: Application to laundry water recycling aboard ships," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 64-70.
    20. James J. Murphy & Juan-Camilo Cardenas, 2004. "An Experiment on Enforcement Strategies for Managing a Local Environment Resource," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 47-61, January.
    21. Manfred M. Fischer & Peter Nijkamp (ed.), 2014. "Handbook of Regional Science," Springer Books, Springer, edition 127, number 978-3-642-23430-9, June.
    22. So, Tony, 2020. "Classroom experiments as a replication device," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    23. Mark Dickie, 2006. "Do Classroom Experiments Increase Learning in Introductory Microeconomics?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 267-288, July.
    24. Yvonne Durham & Thomas Mckinnon & Craig Schulman, 2007. "Classroom Experiments: Not Just Fun And Games," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 45(1), pages 162-178, January.
    25. Edward Cartwright & Anna Stepanova, 2012. "What do Students Learn from a Classroom Experiment: Not much, Unless they Write a Report on it," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 48-57, January.
    26. Chen, Daniel L. & Schonger, Martin & Wickens, Chris, 2016. "oTree—An open-source platform for laboratory, online, and field experiments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 9(C), pages 88-97.
    27. Urs Fischbacher, 2007. "z-Tree: Zurich toolbox for ready-made economic experiments," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 10(2), pages 171-178, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Kyle D., 2023. "Simulating a Water Market: An In-Class Activity to Compare Market Efficiency under Various Institutions and Relative Advantages of Agents," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 5(3), September.
    2. Yehouenou, Lauriane S. & Morgan, Stephen N. & Grogan, Kelly A., 2021. "Managing a Multiuse Resource with Payments for Ecosystems Services: A Classroom Game," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 3(3), September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mateu, Guillermo, 2021. "Innovative education management: an empirical study," TEC Empresarial, School of Business, Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR), vol. 15(3), pages 2-17.
    2. Bartels, Lara & Falk, Thomas & Duche, Vishwambhar & Vollan, Björn, 2022. "Experimental games in transdisciplinary research: The potential importance of individual payments," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Sam Allgood & William B. Walstad & John J. Siegfried, 2015. "Research on Teaching Economics to Undergraduates," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(2), pages 285-325, June.
    4. Marcus Giamattei & Humberto Llavador, 2017. "Teaching microeconomic principles with smartphones – lessons from classroom experiments with classEx," Working Papers 996, Barcelona School of Economics.
    5. Matthew C. Rousu & Jay R. Corrigan & David Harris & Jill K. Hayter & Scott Houser & Becky A. Lafrancois & Olugbenga Onafowora & Gregory Colson & Adam Hoffer, 2015. "Do Monetary Incentives Matter in Classroom Experiments? Effects on Course Performance," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 341-349, October.
    6. Giamattei, Marcus & Graf Lambsdorff, Johann, 2015. "classEx: An online software for classroom experiments," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-68-15, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    7. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Janssen, Marco A. & Kandikuppa, Sandeep & Chaturvedi, Rahul & Rao, Kaushalendra & Theis, Sophie, 2018. "Playing games to save water: Collective action games for groundwater management in Andhra Pradesh, India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 40-53.
    8. Andrej Angelovski & Arianna Galliera & Werner Güth, 2019. "Partial Versus General Compulsory Solidarity: an Experimental Analysis," Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 249-279, December.
    9. Jonathan Guest, 2015. "Reflections on ten years of using economics games and experiments in teaching," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1115619-111, December.
    10. Gerald Eisenkopf & Pascal A. Sulser, 2016. "Randomized controlled trial of teaching methods: Do classroom experiments improve economic education in high schools?," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 211-225, July.
    11. Tisha Emerson & Denise Hazlett, 2011. "Classroom Experiments," Chapters, in: Gail M. Hoyt & KimMarie McGoldrick (ed.), International Handbook on Teaching and Learning Economics, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Hart Hodges & Yvonne Durham & Steve Henson, 2018. "Economic Education Production Functions for the Principles of Macroeconomics and the Principles of Microeconomics: Is There a Difference?," Journal for Economic Educators, Middle Tennessee State University, Business and Economic Research Center, vol. 18(2), pages 22-41, Fall.
    13. Stefan Ruediger & Tatiana Batova, 2020. "The Candy Price Index and the Gumball Domestic Product," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 5(1), pages 1-16, May.
    14. Dickinson, David L., 2009. "Experiment timing and preferences for fairness," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 89-95, January.
    15. Nhim, Tum & Richter, Andries, 2022. "Path dependencies and institutional traps in water governance – Evidence from Cambodia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    16. Beth A. Freeborn & Jason P. Hulbert, 2011. "Persuasive and Informative Advertising: A Classroom Experiment," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 51-59, January.
    17. Steven B. Caudill & Franklin G. Mixon, 2023. "Guess for Success? Application of a Mixture Model to Test-Wiseness on Multiple-Choice Exams," Stats, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-6, June.
    18. Deck, Cary & Howe, E. Lance & Reimer, Matthew & Alevy, Jonathan & Borash, Kyle, 2021. "Contests for shares of an uncertain resource," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    19. Odell, Kathleen E., 2018. "Team-based learning and student performance: Preliminary evidence from a principles of macroeconomics classroom," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 44-58.
    20. Amalia Rodrigo-González & María Caballer-Tarazona & Aurora García-Gallego, 2019. "Active Learning on Trust and Reciprocity for Undergraduates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-22, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Experimental game; Water; Common-pool resource; Communication; Asymmetry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:35:y:2020:i:c:s1477388020300268. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-review-of-economics-education .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.