The experimental economy has been a field of expanding economic science for ten years. It aims to make “ experiences From laboratory to economics, in order to study the behavior of agents by mastering the parameters governing their decision -making. The speakers first presented the educational advantages of the experimental economy and then the role of the experimental economy in assistance in public decision -making, through several Canadian examples.
Video summary:
– Introduction of Marie-Claire Villeval, research director Cnrsand director of SPOILED.
– Intervention by Stéphane Robin, research manager, Cnrs (extract).
– Intervention by Claude Montmarquette, professor of economics, University of Montreal (extract).
The hypotheses or certain results of economic theory are sometimes deemed unrealistic by non-economists. It is however difficult to verify or validate them since, unlike hard sciences, there is no “ laboratory “Clearly said in economics. Most empirical work is thus carried out on statistical data directly concerning the “ real world », Where all the parameters are variable and uncontrollable ex ante by the economist. Their collection and treatment thus require considerable work in order to isolate the effects that the economist wishes to study.
The experimental economy has been a field of expanding economic science for ten years. It aims to make “ experiences From laboratory to economics, in order to study the behavior of agents by mastering the parameters governing their decision -making. More specifically, it is a question of amending economic theories by testing the validity of their results, through appropriate games to which “ guinea pigs From the real world. The conditions of prices convergence in a decentralized information system, the efficiency salary, the impact of the implementation of monetary incentives for the return to employment are all questions to which the experimental economy tries to answer, within much more short time and at a cost much lower than the experiments conducted in the “ real world ».
The educational advantages of the experimental economy were first presented. The use of experimental games appears to be a more concrete and more fun way to make students from high school and university students understand the sometimes abstract mechanisms developed in economic models. Secondly, the role of the experimental economy in assistance in public decision -making was presented through several Canadian examples. It appeared there that experimental games could be an effective way to highlight the potential perverse effects of certain public policies and thus help their calibration. For example, tests from laboratory games have shown that negative tax measures, intended to encourage return to employment, could lead certain people who already have a job to reduce their labor offer in order to benefit from aid.
Introduction of Marie-Claire Villeval, research director Cnrsand director of SPOILED.
Intervention by Stéphane Robin, research manager, Cnrs. (extract)
Intervention by Claude Montmarquette, professor of economics, University of Montreal. (extract)
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