Course guide of Experimental Economics (23911B1)

Curso 2023/2024
Approval date: 26/06/2023

Grado (bachelor's degree)

Bachelor'S Degree in Economics

Branch

Social and Legal Sciences

Module

Economía del Comportamiento

Subject

Economía Experimental

Year of study

4

Semester

2

ECTS Credits

6

Course type

Elective course

Teaching staff

Theory

Juan Antonio Lacomba Arias. Grupos: A y B

Practice

Juan Antonio Lacomba Arias Grupos: 1, 2, 3 y 4

Timetable for tutorials

Juan Antonio Lacomba Arias

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  • First semester
    • Tuesday de 10:30 a 13:30 (Fac. Económicas B319)
    • Thursday de 10:30 a 13:30 (Fac. Económicas B319)
  • Second semester
    • Tuesday de 10:30 a 13:30 (Fac. Económicas B319)
    • Thursday de 10:30 a 13:30 (Fac. Económicas B319)

Prerequisites of recommendations

To have undertaken the units Introduction to economics, Microeconomics I and Microeconomics III

Brief description of content (According to official validation report)

  • Decisions under uncertainty
  • Intertemporal elections
  • Public goods
  • Auctions and negotiation
  • Coordination games

General and specific competences

General competences

  • CG01. Skills in dealing with the ideas and the environment they are involved in.
  • CG03. Ability to analyse and summarise.
  • CG05. Oral and written communication skills in Spanish.
  • CG07. Ability to manage information.
  • CG08. Problem-solving skills.
  • CG09. Ability to make decisions.
  • CG11. Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
  • CG15. Ability to communicate with other areas of knowledge.
  • CG16. Ability to engage in critical and self-critical reasoning.
  • CG17. Ability to learn and work autonomously.
  • CG24. Ability to apply knowledge to practice.
  • CG25. Ability to search for information and research.
  • CG26. Ability to design and manage projects.

Specific competences

  • CE17. Identify and anticipate economic problems relevant to the general allocation of resources in the public and private sector.
  • CE22. Bring rationality to the analysis and description of any aspect of economic reality.
  • CE23. Evaluate the consequences of alternative courses of action and select the best ones given the objectives.
  • CE38. Derive from the data relevant information not accessible to non-professionals.

Transversal competences

  • CT01. Through the knowledge and application of concepts learnt in the Bachelor's Degree (Grado), be able to identify and anticipate economic problems relevant to the allocation of resources, both in the public and private sectors.

Objectives (Expressed as expected learning outcomes)

  • The fundamental objectives of this subject are the following:
    • Learning how to design laboratory experiments
    • Learning how to design field experiments
    • Learning the most relevant empirical regularities obtained from the analysis of the experiments
    • Learning the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of economic experiments

Detailed syllabus

Theory

  • Topic 1. Introduction to experiments in economics and Behavioral economics.
  • Topic 2. Altruism and Bargaining.
  • Topic 3.Trust.
  • Topic 4. Labor Market.
  • Topic 5. Public goods.
  • Topic 6. Antisocial behavior.
  • Topic 7. Field experiments

Practice

  • Design of experiments by groups
  • Oral and written presentation of the experiments in class

Bibliography

Basic reading list

  • Economía Experimental y del Comportamiento, Antoni Bosch Editor, Pablo Brañas coordinador, 2011
  • Davis, D. and Holt, C. (1993). Experimental Economics. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Complementary reading

  • Camerer, C.F. (1995). Individual Decision Making. In Kagel, J.H. and Roth, A.E. (eds.) Handbook of Experimental Economics. Princeton UniversityPress, Princeton: 587-703.
  • Harrison, G.W. and List, J.A. (2004). Field Experiments. Journal of Economic Literature 42: 1013-59.
  • Roth, A.E. (1995). Introduction to Experimental Economics. In Kagel, J.H. and Roth, A.E. (eds.) Handbook of Experimental Economics. Princeton UniversityPress, Princeton. Chapter 1.
  • Camerer, C.F. (2003). Behavioral Game Theory. Princeton UniversityPress, Princeton.
  • Holt, C. (2006) Markets, Games, & Strategic Behavior. Addison Wesley.
  • Kagel, J.H. and Roth, A.E. (1995). Handbook of Experimental Economics. Princeton University Press, Princeton

Recommended links

Teaching methods

  • MD01. Docencia presencial en el aula 
  • MD02. Estudio individualizado del alumno, búsqueda, consulta y tratamiento de información, resolución de problemas y casos prácticos, y realización de trabajos y exposiciones. 
  • MD03. Tutorías individuales y/o colectivas y evaluación  

Assessment methods (Instruments, criteria and percentages)

Ordinary assessment session

  • Following the regulations, there is a continuous assessment.
  • The instruments and evaluation criteria consist in first, to deliver, before presenting, two short drafts with the main elements of the two own experimental designs they have to do during the course (a lab experimental design and a field experimental design), then to make two presentations of the two designs (a presentation of an own experimental design of a lab experiment and a presentation of an own experimental design of a field experiment) and two written proposals of 6-8 pages of the two own experimental designs before the last week of the course. The total grade of this course (100%) will be made according to the following weighting:
    • Brief draft of the experimental design I: 10%
    • Brief draft of the experimental design II: 10%
    • Oral presentation of the experimental design I: 20%
    • Oral presentation of the experimental design II: 20%
    • Written proposal of 6-8 pages on the experimental design I: 20%
    • Written proposal of 6-8 pages on the experimental design II: 20%
  • In the case of group work, the members of the group may or may not receive the same qualification.
  • To be able to pass the subject by continuous assessment, all the tasks will be carried out. If one of them is not done, it cannot be approved by continuous assessment.


Extraordinary assessment session

  • The extraordinary assessment session will consist of an exam where the students will have to answer a series of essay questions related to the totality of the topics seen in the course. The mark will be the 100% of the final assessment

Single final assessment

According to Article 8 of the current Evaluation Regulations, students will be able to take a single final evaluation the first two weeks of the course (or two weeks after their enrollment change), as requested, through the electronic procedure, to the Director of the Department, alleging and proving the reasons that assist him to be unable to follow the continuous evaluation system (labor reasons, health status, disability or any other duly justified cause), understanding such evaluation , as a single academic act to prove that the student has acquired all of the skills described.

  • The single final assessment will consist of an exam where the students will have to answer a series of essay questions related to the totality of the topics seen in the course. The mark will be the 100% of the final assessment

Additional information

  • The Department of Economic Theory and History, in accordance with the Regulations for the care of students with disabilities and other specific needs for educational support, approved by the Governing Council of the UGR on September 20, 2016, will promote the right to education under conditions of equal opportunities for students with disabilities and other specific educational support needs. The necessary care actions will be established to achieve their full and effective inclusion, guaranteeing their right to inclusive education, in accordance with the principles of non-discrimination, equal opportunities and universal accessibility, so that they can achieve the maximum possible development of their personal capacities and In any case, the objectives established in general for the entire student body.
  • The information contained in this guide may be modified by supervening circumstances, changes in regulations or new guidelines that may be given by the health authorities, the University or the Center.