Accessibility statement

This is a website created for my visit to the Price of Songkla University Thailand in November and December 2023.

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A Farewell Message

This is just to say how much I enjoyed my month in Hat Yai. I enjoyed meeting staff and students, though I am somewhat disappointed that I did not convince you all of what experiments were about and what they are for, and why they are so important for economics. Next time!

Thanks to everyone for making my stay with you so pleasant.

John Hey

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Summary of classes

  • I will be giving two workshops in the Experimental method for behavioural science course
  • I will be giving a Brown Bag workshop.
  • I will be giving four lectures in the Behavioral economics course

Details are given below.

1. Material for the Experimental method for behavioural science course

The first lecture: Friday the 24th of November 9.00 to 12.00

What experiments can tell us about economic behavior 2 (MS PowerPoint , 43,395kb)

A Task for this lecture and the next

Doing this in teams will be more interesting and more fun.

Choose either Public Goods Games or Saving.

If the former is chosen, read about it here. You will see that it has many variants, but all are centered on the Nash Equilibrium solution. You are asked to select one of the many variants and to design a simple experiment to test for the Nash Equilibrium. Concentrate on the various possible parameters (the number of players and the multiplication factor) and consider variations in them. Would your experiment have repetitions? With the same players or with evolving players? Anticipate your data analysis.

If the latter is chosen, read the article by carbone and hey (PDF , 147kb). You will immediately realise that it is an old and rather dated experiment, carried out some years ago, but addressed to an important issue - that of saving. Discuss the major results as far as saving is concerned. Make a critique of the article, and suggest modifications and improvements. Discuss also the possible policy implications.

Below are the self-chosen Teams for the above Tasks (please report any typos to us)

Groups for Experimental Workshop (MS Word , 13kb)

 

The second lecture; Friday the 1st of December 9.00 to 12.00

Examples of three of my recent experiments.

Search and Switch (PDF , 174kb)

carbone hey and neugebauer (MS PowerPoint , 2,218kb)

bone crosetto hey and pasca (MS PowerPoint , 1,125kb)

 

2. Material for the Brown Bag Workshop

Monday the 27th of November 11.00 to 12.30

The presentation:

The Determinants of Decision Time in Ambiguous Context 3 (MS PowerPoint , 802kb)

 

3. Material for the Behavioural Economics course

Presentations

There are some tasks for you. Where it says 'Revised Lecture' this is the latest version of the lecture that I will be giving. Ignore previous versions.  

Revised Lecture 1 (MS PowerPoint , 43,394kb)Thursday the 23rd of November 14.30 to 16.00.

Revised Lecture 2 (MS PowerPoint , 85kb) Tuesday the 28th of November 14.30 to 16.00.

Presentations in Lecture 2

Revised Lecture 3 (MS PowerPoint , 134kb) Thursday the 30th of November 14.30 to 16.00.

Revised Lecture 4 (MS PowerPoint , 143kb) Thursday the 7th of December 14.30 to 16.00.

 

Paper referred to in the Behavioural Economics course

  1. charness et al (PDF , 563kb). This is referred to in Lecture 3.

 

Tasks for the Behavioural Economics course

Before or during the second lecture I would like you to try the following task which you can do individually or in (self-appointed) teams.

  1. Take the prisoner's dilemma game:
  2. "Two prisoners are accused of a crime. If one confesses and the other does not, the one who confesses will be released immediately and the other will spend 20 years in prison. If neither confesses, each will be held only a few months. If both confess, they will each be jailed 15 years”
  3. This is a simple game, with a clearly-specified Nash equilibrium – in which both confess.
  4. Design a simple experiment to investigate its empirical validity.
  5. Concentrate on the various possible outcomes (‘20 years’, ‘15 years’, ‘a few months’ and ‘released immediately’) and consider variations in them.
  6. Think about repetitions.
  7. Anticipate your data analysis.

 

Before the final (fourth) lecture, try the following task:

Each of you (in teams if you prefer) will come up with an idea for an experiment. You should specify:

  1. The title preferably in the form of a question)
  2. The purpose of the experiment (more than just answering the question)
  3. The type of experiment
  4. The software you might use (if any)
  5. How you might analyse the results
  6. Where might you submit the finished paper

 

 

John Hey

You can email me at john.hey@york.ac.uk

Find out more about John Hey