Title : Rethinking Laboratory Experiments: The Case of Collective Experiments
Author(s) : Anne-Gaëlle Maltese
Abstract : This article investigates the potential for advancing experimental economics through the implementation of collective experiments. Historically, the discipline was deemed unsuitable for experimentation. However, the maturation of its theoretical and technical foundations eventually facilitated the integration of experimental methods. Despite these developments, the study of collective processes remains largely underexplored in experimental economics. This gap stems from historical, methodological, and technological barriers that have limited the development of protocols tailored to collective experiments. The article emphasizes the transformative potential of minimizing intermediaries and leveraging innovative tools to gain deeper insights into collective dynamics and processes. It concludes by advocating rethinking research infrastructures, i.e, experimental laboratories, to support this emerging methodological framework, opening new avenues for understanding collective behaviors in controlled experimental settings.
Key-words : Experimental economics, Laboratory experiment, Collective experiment, Methodology
JEL Classification : B4, C92
