Here are some pointers on writing your experimental reports.
Length
- about 2 typed pages, i.e. about 500-600 words
Contents
- Explain the design of the experiment. What happened in the Experiment? What were the payoffs? How did you get paid (hypothetically)?
- Construct an argument through your report based on whether you think the model(s) succeed or fail to explain your behavior or the behavior of the class in aggregate. That is, use the Theory from class/textbook/papers to discuss your behavior and others’ behavior; does your behavior fit with “standard” theory, or do some of the “behavioral” interpretations seem to apply instead? (this is a bit of a false dichotomy as many so-called “behavioral” explanations are standard, but you get the idea)
- Describe what you thought about the experiment
- Discuss why you made the choices you did after completing the instructions, during the actual rounds of the experiments and then after the experiment was completed and you have had some time to think about it
- Reflect on the results of the experiment (the aggregated results from the experiment)
- Consider whether the standard behavior the experiments looks rational or consistent with the prediction you anticipate you would see in the model
- Explain whether you think the model (or more than one) is missing something if it fails to match the behavior in the experiment
- Think critically about your own behavior and decide whether you think you could have done better had you altered your strategy (in an interactive experiment)
- Recruit evidence in your explanation (see the spreadsheets and graphics from the experiment on Slack)
Keeping track of your experience and understanding will help us to discuss why the results from experimental sessions differ from what we might predict from theory.
Key questions I ask myself when grading
- Did the student demonstrate they understood the experiment, its rules, its design, etc?
- Did the student tie the experiment to theory? That is, did they explain the appropriate theory (perhaps with a graph) and tie the experimental behavior to the theory?
- Did the student explain how the behavior of the subjects in the experiment were consistent or inconsistent with theory? What happens if subjects behave differently to how theory dictates?
- Did the student demonstrate that they could reflect clearly on their own behavior and preferences? Recall for many of the experiments your preferences are simply your preferences (no judgment attached)?
- Did the student write coherently and structure their paper in a coherent way? (Basic intro, body, conclusion, citations as necessary)?