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ECON30390

Academic Year 2025/2026

Experimental Economics: Lab Experiments (ECON30390)

Subject:
Economics
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Economics
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Vessela Daskalova
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Experimental research has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years and has become part of the standard economics toolbox. Laboratory experiments are used to document empirical regularities in human behaviour, to test theories, to test "institutions", and to provide evidence to organizations and policy makers. Experiments are considered the "gold standard" for causal empirical evidence. This module will focus on the methodology and design of laboratory experiments in economics. Topics studied through economics laboratory experiments include behavioural biases and bounded rationality in decision-making; inequality, time preferences, risk preferences, and their relevance for making sustainable choices for the environment; the role of gender, discrimination, and social identities in social interactions; ethics and the trust in AI; price formation, morality, and efficiency in markets; financial bubbles and crashes; experiments on labour market discrimination; nudges and behavioural public policy; attitudes towards immigration and redistribution; time preferences, the economics of health and how to make healthy choices; political polarisation and voting behaviour; social preferences and charitable giving; designing good institutions.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students will have:
- Obtained detailed knowledge of experimental methods in economics and of good scientific practices for conducting economics experiments.
- Developed a thorough understanding of advantages and limitations of laboratory experiments.

Indicative Module Content:

The focus of the module is on the methodology of economics experiments. The course will cover the following topics:

- Methodology: Principles of economics experiments. Types of experiments. Experimental design. The scientific method. Hypotheses testing.
- Best practices: Incentives. Sample size. Pre-registering. Replication.
- Practicalities: Participants. Laboratories. Software. Conducting an experiment.
- Data analysis: Experimetrics. Regressions, parametric, and non-parametric statistical tests.
- Some applications: Individual decision making. Strategic interaction. Markets.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Small Group

3
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module is highly interactive and driven by recent research in experimental economics. Throughout the course students will engage with a wide range of materials (published papers, books, videos), work on a group project, and participate in interactive classroom experiments using their smartphones. This technology-enhanced teaching approach allows students to experience an economic decision-making problem, work on a solution and receive real-time feedback, promoting active and experiential learning.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

There are no formal pre-requisites for the course. However, having some basic knowledge of utility theory, game theory, statistics, and econometrics may be helpful.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: A group project involving designing an experiment & doing an in-class presentation of your design. This will happen in one of the last two weeks of class.
 Week 11, Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No
Exam (In-person): The 2-hour final exam will be on 31 March or 7 April. The exam is earlier than usual to ensure that you have mastered the methodology before designing your experiment. Week 9, Week 10 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Feedback in the form of individual grades for the exam. - Feedback in the form of grades and comments post-assessment for the group project.

Name Role
Katharina Richter Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 16:00 - 17:50
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