Competencies and objectives

 

Course context for academic year 2025-26

This course offers an introduction to the theory and practice of experimental economics, with a special focus on:

  1. The behavioral analysis of individual and group decision making;
  2. Risk and social preferences;
  3. Analysis of experimental data;
  4. The methodology of laboratory and field experiments.

We will critically review experimental literature addressing these themes, placing special emphasis on methodological issues such as experimental design and the use of statistical tools for experimental-data analysis. As the course aims to provide practical experience, students will design and present their own experimental research projects, applying the concepts and methods discussed in class. Presentations take place throughout the course, fostering an immersive learning experience through continuous peer feedback and project development.

 

 

Learning outcomes / Course competencies (verified by ANECA in official undergraduate and Master’s degrees) for academic year 2025-26

General Competences (CG)

  • CG1 : Capacity to carry out research work.
  • CG2 : Capacity to find data (natural and experimental) and analyse it.
  • CG3 : Capacity to apply economic theory to represent real situations.
  • CG4 : Capacity for teamwork.
  • CG5 : Capacity for self-learning.
  • CG6 : Ethical commitment and social responsibility at work, respecting the environment, being aware of and understanding the importance of respecting Fundamental Rights, Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, Universal Accessibility for the Disabled and respect for the Values of Peaceful Culture and Democratic Values.
  • CG7 : Analyse problems using critical reasoning, without prejudices, precisely and rigorously.
  • CG8 : Capacity to synthesise.

 

Specific Competences (CE)

  • CE1 : Capacity to read Economic research articles in a reasoned fashion and evaluate them critically, understand their essential contributions and weaknesses.
  • CE2 : Capacity to understand how the technical problems faced by authors of research articles have been resolved in each case.
  • CE3 : Capacity to test theorems and propositions.
  • CE4 : Capacity to understand and reproduce empirical analyses and simulation experiments on which the conclusions of research articles written by other authors are based.
  • CE5 : Capacity to present important economic problems precisely and respond adequately to said problems by using the techniques learnt on the different courses, using theoretical and empirical analyses or simulations if necessary.
  • CE6 : Ability to write a research report or article describing the problem dealt with, analysing previous literature on the subject, clearly presenting the solution obtained for the problem and synthesising the conclusions of the work.

 

 

 

Learning outcomes (Training objectives)

No data

 

 

Specific objectives stated by the academic staff for academic year 2025-26

Experimental Economics provides a method to collect data in a controlled environment for answering economic research questions. It allows researchers to manipulate key features of the decision context—including incentives, information, and framing—to test theoretical predictions or uncover new behavioral patterns. While the methodology draws on principles from the natural sciences, it also faces challenges unique to social sciences, such as uncontrolled contextual effects and subject heterogeneity.
This course aims to equip students with a critical understanding of the power and limitations of experimental methods. Through engagement with key literature and hands-on design work, students will gain the tools necessary to contribute to experimental research in economics.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Conceptual understanding
    • Explain the core principles and motivations behind the use of experiments in economics.
    • Identify and evaluate the strengths and limitations of experimental methods in economic research.
  2. Analytical skills
    • Be able to analyze experimental data and understand findings from landmark studies in experimental economics.
    • Interpret and critique experimental designs and statistical approaches used in experimental economics.
  3. Design competence
    • Formulate a research question suitable for experimental investigation.
    • Design a rigorous and ethically sound economic experiment, including the selection of appropriate treatments, incentives, and measurement tools.
  4. Practical application and scientific communication
    • Collaborate effectively on the development and presentation of an original research project.
    • Communicate experimental research projects clearly in both written and oral formats.
    • Relate experimental evidence to economic theory and broader empirical debates.

The students should also be able to respond to the following questions:

  1. What are the most important benefits and limitations of the experimental methodology?
  2. Which important contributions have economic experiments made to further our understanding of human behavior and economic systems?
  3. Which type of research questions can be answered by economic experiments?
  4. How do theory, research questions, experimental design and econometric methods depend on one another in experimental research projects?

 

 

General

Code: 41216
Lecturer responsible:
Cueva Herrero, Carlos
Credits ECTS: 5,00
Theoretical credits: 1,20
Practical credits: 0,40
Distance-base hours: 3,40

Departments involved

  • Dept: Economic Analysis
    Area: Foundations of Economic Analysis
    Theoretical credits: 1,2
    Practical credits: 0,4
    This Dept. is responsible for the course.
    This Dept. is responsible for the final mark record.

Study programmes where this course is taught