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Cautions on the Use of Economics Experiments in Law

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  • Kathryn Zeiler

Abstract

The recent move to import empirical results into law and policymaking have introduced challenges related to drawing proper inferences from quantitative studies. The purpose of this essay is to elaborate on three specific cautions on the use of economics experiment results. First, critiques of experiment designs based on external or ecological validity are oftenmisplaced. Second, some legal scholars have fallen into the problematic habit of applying results from experiments directly to law and policy rather than applying well-supported theories. Third, the divergent purposes behind economics studies and legal scholarship give rise, in part, to problematic cherry-picking of experimental studies by legal scholars.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathryn Zeiler, 2010. "Cautions on the Use of Economics Experiments in Law," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 166(1), pages 178-193, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:mhr:jinste:urn:sici:0932-4569(201003)166:1_178:cotuoe_2.0.tx_2-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anderson, Lisa R & Holt, Charles A, 1997. "Information Cascades in the Laboratory," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(5), pages 847-862, December.
    2. Don L. Coursey & John L. Hovis & William D. Schulze, 1987. "The Disparity Between Willingness to Accept and Willingness to Pay Measures of Value," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 102(3), pages 679-690.
    3. Cason, Timothy N., 2008. "Trading Institutions and Emission Allowances," Handbook of Experimental Economics Results, in: Charles R. Plott & Vernon L. Smith (ed.), Handbook of Experimental Economics Results, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 70, pages 661-668, Elsevier.
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    Cited by:

    1. T. R. Harmon-Kizer, 2019. "Let the Borrower Beware: Towards a Framework for Debiasing Rollover Behavior in the Payday Loan Industry," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 245-266, June.
    2. K. P. Purnhagen & E. Herpen & S. Kamps & F. Michetti, 2021. "Oversized Area Indications on Bonus Packs Fail to Affect Consumers’ Transactional Decisions—More Experimental Evidence on the Mars Case," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 385-406, September.
    3. Kathryn Zeiler, 2019. "Mistaken about mistakes," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 9-27, August.
    4. Christoph Engel, 2010. "The Multiple Uses of Experimental Evidence in Legal Scholarship," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 166(1), pages 199-202, March.
    5. Joachim Winter, 2015. "Randomizing ... What? A Field Experiment of Child Access Voting Laws," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 171(1), pages 176-180, March.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • K00 - Law and Economics - - General - - - General (including Data Sources and Description)

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