The LMU Experimental Economics Lab (or Econlab) is a central facility in the Economics Department, where we conduct experiments, subject pool sessions, and surveys to study economic decision making and to provide a hands-on and interactive teaching experience for our students.
- About Experimental Economics
- Register
- Faculty
- Using the Lab
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Experimental Economics has developed into one of the most productive and empirically relevant research fields in Economics since the mid-1990s. Experimental methods can be applied to empirically analyze and validate theories in all fields of economics and beyond. Research by faculty members in the department has focused in particular, but not exclusively, on ethical, rationality, and competition aspects. The experimental method also lends itself to interdisciplinary work between economists and, among others, political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, biologists, and mathematicians.
We are always recruiting individuals to participate in our experiments. Subjects in experiments are paid cash for their participation; the exact amount varies, but participants typically earn $15 or more per hour. Participants in subject pool sessions are usually enrolled in economics classes and receive class credit according to the syllabus (but no monetary compensation) for their participation.
Faculty Members in Experimental Economics:
Fulya Ersoy
Dorothea K Herreiner, Lab Director
Prachi Jain
James Konow
Jennifer Pate
The LMU Experimental Economics Lab (LEEL) is open to all faculty members of LMU's Economics Department, authorized students in collaboration with LMU Economics faculty members, and authorized researchers. If you are interested in collaborating with one of our faculty members and in using the lab, please contact the Lab Director, Dr. Dorothea Herreiner.
Facilities
The LEEL is a dedicated, state-of-the-art experimental lab with custom-made lab furniture. The lab is located in University Hall in rooms 4226, 4228, and 4230; the rooms can be used as one large open space, or they can be divided into two or three sections. We have 3 servers and 30 client laptops, that can be connected in all possible different combinations. The laptops run Windows XP and experiments are usually programmed in ZTree. The access to software and peripherals on all client laptops can be controlled through Netsupport from the servers. The lab is mobile and can be set up in a wired or wireless configuration in UNH 4226-4230 (or elsewhere on campus); the facilities also allow for the conduction of paper-and-pen experiments. The lab is equipped with projection facilities in each section and a sound system.
Rules for Use
Use of the lab is for experiments only. Experiments in the lab can be paid or unpaid, for research or teaching purposes, pen-and-paper, computer, or video based, and of interactive or survey nature. All activities in the lab (including testing) need to be reserved through the online recruitment system (ORSEE). Reservations are generally made on a first-come-first-served basis, but may have to be coordinated. To obtain access to ORSEE or if you have any questions about lab reservations, contact the Lab Director.
All experiments or surveys in the lab need to have received approval (or have been granted an exemption) by LMU's Institutional Review Board. The use of deception in experiments is not allowed. Experiments by individuals who are not LMU Economics faculty members need to be authorized by the Lab Director.
The use of new software or additional hardware has to be approved by the Lab Director, and is possible only if there are no conflicts with the existing setup and if the necessary computing power, time, and personnel for testing and installation is available. Such new software or additional hardware may only be installed in collaboration with the Lab Director or Lab Assistant. Experimenters may use only licensed commercial, freeware, shareware, or open source software; in particular, each experimenter has to obtain his/her own license for the installed ZTree software. All files used on any computer in the lab have to be free of viruses, malware, etc. The setup of ZTree, NetSupport or web browsers may not be changed without prior approval by the Lab Director.
The use of ORSEE and if applicable ZTree or any other software has to be acknowledged in any publication based on experiments in LMU's Experimental Economics Lab (LEEL) - in accordance with the respective licenses.
Off-site experiments involving some or all lab equipment must be coordinated with the the Lab Director in advance; lab reservations for such experiments must include an additional hour before and after the experiment. The lab must be left clean and tidy with either all laptops on the desks or all laptops in the carts (charging) after each experiment (check with the Lab Assistant). Food or drinks are not allowed in the lab under any circumstances.
Any kind of problem must be communicated to the Lab Director immediately. Removal of any hardware from the lab on a temporary or permanent basis and removal of any software has to be authorized by the Lab Director. Use of the lab implies acceptance of these rules.
Questions? Please contact:
e-mail: econlab@lmu.edu
phone: 310.338.2333