Economic Theory and Experimental Economics | Economics (2024)

The objective of microeconomic theory is to analyse how individual decision-makers, both consumers and producers, behave in a variety of economic environments. Examples of such environments are bidding in an auction, collectively deciding whether to build a public project, or designing a contract that will induce a worker to exert maximum effort. The common goal in all of these issues is to identify the incentives of the various participating agents and the trade-offs that they face.

Understanding behaviour and microeconomic trade-offs are also crucial for the design of microeconomic policies such as income taxation, healthcare provision and competition policies. It is often the case that a better understanding is obtained by looking at dynamic models, where agents interact repeatedly and learn how to behave optimally over time.

In order to understand how individual decision-makers behave, microeconomists build models, use data and conduct experiments.

Our research expertise ranges from game theory and decision theory to industrial organisation, public economics, corporate finance and behavioural economics.

Members' interests are as follows:

  • Hector Calvo'sresearch interests are on international economics and household finance, with emphasis on the economics of risk, uncertainty and expectational coordination. He is currently conducting research on the interaction between information and risk (under which conditions more information reduces risk?) and on expectational coordination in the stock market (does the fear of mis-coordination explain the equity premium?). He is an associate researcher to 'An International Network on Expectational Coordination', based at the College de France, and funded by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) until 2016.
  • Spyros Galanis'research interests are in the fields of decision theory and game theory. The first main topic is unawareness, which examines how agents behave and reason about the information of others when they completely miss certain dimensions of their environment and view a simplified version of the world. The second topic is on providing foundations on how games are played. That is, examining how different assumptions about the behaviour of players can explain which action each player will choose in equilibrium.
  • Antonella Ianniis interested in understanding the microfoundations of economic behaviour in markets. At present, she is focusing on learning and evolutionary dynamics applied to games, on the study of networks and network formation, and on the analysis of continuous time processes of opinion formation. She is an executive member of the DTC, Complexity Science at Southampton and she is currently supervising two PhD students.
  • Maksymilian Kwiek'sresearch focuses on applied game theory, including games of timing, auctions and games with communication. For example, a recent publication demonstrates that aggressive behaviour is particularly strong in some commonly encountered repeated auctions. This phenomenon may explain a remarkable pattern of prices in European UMTS auctions in early 2000s, in which early auctions generated huge revenues for governments, but in subsequent auctions the prices collapsed. Another research project asks a question about optimal size of required majority in repeated voting, such as in papal conclaves, or in selecting leaders of the EU. This work shows that simple majority may be an inferior method of choosing an outcome. A third example is a project on games with communication which studies product differentiation on mass media markets. Maksymilian coordinates the Micro Theory Reading Group, where important and recent contributions to microeconomic theory are discussed. He is currently supervising one PhD student and he is a student supervisor in the Web Science Doctoral Training Centre in Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton.
  • Zacharias Maniadisis a Lecturer at the Department of Economics of the University of Southampton. He is a microeconomist with research interests in experimental economics, applied game theory, and political economy. His recent work concerns the implications of the ‘reproducibility crisis’, observed in several fields of in science, on economic research. Zacharias obtained his PhD in economics in 2008 from the University of California, Los Angeles.
  • Jian Tong’sresearch interest, broadly speaking, is in formal theory of institutions (ie humanly devised constraints), which spans contract theory, organisation theory, industrial organisation and corporate finance. A recent theme of his research is to model how the design of institutions (eg contracts) deals with ambiguity (ie coarsely defined risk profiles), adopting the multiple prior models. This theme is represented in the paper entitled 'A Dynamic Game under Ambiguity: Contracting for Delegated Experimentation' (joint with David Besanko (Northwestern) and Jianjun Wu).
  • Mirco Toninresearch interests are in labour economics and public finance. His current research projects look at the impact of in-work benefit on educational choices, the effect of information campaigns on water consumption, and the enforcement of import tariffs. Thanks to an ESRC grant titled 'An Investigation into the Sources and Implications of Prosocial Behaviour , he is also working on an experimental project on workers' intrinsic motivation.
  • Michael Vlassopoulosis interested in public, behavioural and labour economics. In particular, his current work focuses on the sources and implications of prosocial behaviour, on peer effects with endogenous reference groups, and the effects of bonuses on effort and honesty.
Economic Theory and Experimental Economics | Economics (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 types of economic theories? ›

The 3 major theories of economics are Keynesian economics, Neoclassical economics, and Marxian economics.

How is economic theory different from empirical economics? ›

Remember that in Economics “theory papers” are usually highly mathematical and formal. Empirical papers use evidence from the real world, usually to test hypotheses, but also to generate description and help formulate ideas and hypotheses.

What are the 4 types of economic theories? ›

The 4 economic theories are supply side economics, new classical economics, monetarism and Keynesian economics.

What is the experimental method of economics? ›

Experimental economics uses controlled, scientific experiments to test what choices people actually make in specific circ*mstances. In 2002, Vernon Smith won the Nobel Prize in Economics for developing a methodology that allows researchers to test proposed new policies before they are implemented.

What is an example of an economic theory? ›

Supply and demand

For example, as the supply of a good or service decreases and consumer demand persists, the price of it may skyrocket—in this case, the demand is greater than the supply.

What are the two different approaches to economic theory? ›

Positive economics and normative economics are two standard branches of modern economics. Positive economics describes and explains various economic phenomena, while normative economics focuses on the value of economic fairness or what the economy should be.

What is an example of empirical economics? ›

For example, suppose you want to find the effect of marriage on income. If you find that higher income people are more likely to be married, that could mean marriage makes you richer, or it could mean that richer people feel more comfortable getting married.

What is the difference between theory and empirical? ›

theoretical: What's the difference? Empirical means based on observations or experience. Theoretical means based on theories and hypotheses. The two terms are often used in scientific practice to refer to data, methods, or probabilities.

What is empirical theory in economics? ›

In contrast, empirical models aim to verify the qualitative predictions of theoretical models and convert these predictions to precise, numerical outcomes. For example, a theoretical model of an agent's consumption behavior would generally suggest a positive relationship between expenditure and income.

What are the three current theories in economics today? ›

There is some debate over what the three major theories of economics are, but many economists suggest that they include neoclassical economic theory, Keynesian economic theory, and Marxian economic theory.

What economic theory does the US use? ›

The U.S. has a mixed economy, exhibiting characteristics of both capitalism and socialism. Such a mixed economy embraces the free market when it comes to capital use, but it also allows for government intervention for the public good.

What are the 5 stages of economic theory? ›

Using these ideas, Rostow penned his classic Stages of Economic Growth in 1960, which presented five steps through which all countries must pass to become developed: 1) traditional society, 2) preconditions to take-off, 3) take-off, 4) drive to maturity and 5) age of high mass consumption.

What is an example of experimental economics? ›

For example, the person assigned the role of seller might be handed a card that indicates that his cost of production for the item is $10. If he can sell the item to the buyer in the experiment for more than his cost of production, then he will be awarded the difference between his sales price and $10.

What is the main advantage of experimental economics? ›

Advantages of the Experimental Approach

First, laboratory experimentation offers a degree of control which allows economists to generate tests of alternative policies at low cost, or to give theories their “best chance” by testing them in environments which exactly satisfy their assumptions.

What is the impact factor of experimental economics? ›

Experimental Economics Impact Score 2021-2022

The impact score (IS) 2021 of Experimental Economics is 2.41, which is computed in 2022 as per its definition.

What is the major of economic theory? ›

Economic Theory provides an outlet for research in all areas of economics based on rigorous theoretical reasoning and on topics in mathematics that are supported by the analysis of economic problems. Published articles contribute to the understanding and solution of substantive economic problems.

How do economists use economic theory? ›

When they see an economic issue or problem, they go through the theories they know to see if they can find one that fits. Then they use the theory to derive insights about the issue or problem. In economics, theories are expressed as diagrams, graphs, or even as mathematical equations.

Is capitalism an economic theory? ›

Capitalism is often thought of as an economic system in which private actors own and control property in accord with their interests, and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a way that can serve the best interests of society. The essential feature of capitalism is the motive to make a profit.

What is the summary of economic theory? ›

An economic theory is a set of concepts and principles that define how various economies work. An economist may use theories for a variety of goals, depending on their specific function. Some theories, for example, seek to explain why certain economic events, such as inflation or supply and demand, occur.

What are the methods of economic theory? ›

There are two types of economic study - Deductive Method and Inductive Method.
...
Deductive method vs inductive method.
BASISDEDUCTIVE METHODINDUCTIVE METHOD
RESULTSConfirmation of the making the hypothesisGeneralised results
7 more rows

How many types of economic theories are there? ›

Keynesian economics, Neoclassical economics, and Marxian economics are the three major economic theories. Other economic theories include monetarism, institutional economics, constitutional economics, and so on.

What is an example of Keynesian economic theory? ›

For example, Keynesian economists would advocate deficit spending on labor-intensive infrastructure projects to stimulate employment and stabilize wages during economic downturns. They would raise taxes to cool the economy and prevent inflation when there is abundant demand-side growth.

What is the best example of the empirical method? ›

For example: Pharmaceutical companies use empirical research to try out a specific drug on controlled groups or random groups to study the effect and cause. This way, they prove certain theories they had proposed for the specific drug.

What is empirical and normative economics? ›

An empirically true theory is “Real” in an actual social situation; a normatively true theory is “Ideal” in an actual social situation. “Real” is what actually exists; and “Ideal” is what should exist, what is desired. Real theory is objectively true (existent); whereas Ideal theory is subjectively true (value).

What is difference between empirical and experimental? ›

Sources of empirical evidence are sometimes divided into observation and experimentation, the difference being that only experimentation involves manipulation or intervention: phenomena are actively created instead of being passively observed.

What is the relationship between theory and empirical? ›

A scientific theory is an explanation supported by empirical evidence. Therefore, scientific theory is based on careful, reasonable examination of facts, and theories are tested and confirmed for their ability to explain and predict the phenomena of interest.

What makes a theory empirical? ›

Empirical research is based on observed and measured phenomena and derives knowledge from actual experience rather than from theory or belief.

Why is empirical evidence important in economics? ›

Economic theory is to be judged by its predictive power supported by empirical regularity. Only factual or empirical evidence can make a theory go from a “meaningless”[2] hypotheses to part of man's accumulated knowledge. The only relevant test of the validity of a hypothesis is its predictive powers.

What is the new economic theory? ›

The new growth theory is an economic concept, positing that humans' desires and unlimited wants foster ever-increasing productivity and economic growth.

Why are there different economic theories? ›

The assumptions of economists are made to better understand consumer and business behavior when making economic decisions. There are various economic theories to help explain how an economy functions and how to maximize growth, wealth, and employment.

Who proposed economic theory? ›

Adam Smith is called the "father of economics" because of his theories on capitalism, free markets, and supply and demand.

What type of economic system is found in the USA? ›

Capitalism is the economic system in the United States. It is a market economy. Capitalism means that people, not the government, own most businesses. In the U.S., businesses decide what to sell.

What is Marx economic theory? ›

Marx believed that in a capitalist system, society would inevitably divide themselves into two classes – the business owners and the workers. The workers would produce the material goods and conduct all the labor, while the owners would reap all the financial and social benefits.

What is the best economic system for the United States? ›

Capitalism is the greatest economic system because it has numerous benefits and creates multiple opportunities for individuals in society. Some of these benefits include producing wealth and innovation, improving the lives of individuals, and giving power to the people.

What are the 6 economic theories? ›

There are 6 economic theories under International Trade Law which are classified in four: (I) Mercantilist Theory of trade (II) Classical Theory of trade (III) Modern Theory of trade (IV) New Theories of trade. Both of these categories, classical and modern, consist of several international theories.

What are the big five economics? ›

Traditionally the top five journals in economics are: the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Journal of Political Economy, and the Review of Economic Studies.

What is Big 5 in economics? ›

The EU's big 5 economies – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – dominate the EU by dint of their sheer size, accounting for 71% of GDP in 2013. However, they are by no means the top performers in the EU.

What is the difference between behavioral and experimental economics? ›

Behavioral economics attempts to make economics a more relevant and powerful science of human behavior by integrating insights from psychology and the social sciences into economics. Experimental economics adapts methods developed in the natural sciences to study economic behavior.

Is experimental economics same as behavioral economics? ›

The answer is “No, Experimental Economics and Behavioral Economics are not the same” and that is an important distinction, especially when Behavioral Economics in particular has burst outside of the academy into popular interest (a prime example are the books Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, Thinking, Fast ...

Is experimental economics the same as Behavioural economics? ›

Experimental economics uses experimental methods to evaluate the performance of economic models, institutions and policies. Behavioural economics combines experimental and field evidence with insights from neighbouring disciplines such as psychology, to develop richer economic models of decision-making.

Why is it difficult to do experiments in economics? ›

Specifically, economics experiments are often challenged because of concerns about their "internal validity" and "external validity", for example, that they are not applicable models for many types of economic behavior, so the experiments simply aren't good enough to produce useful answers.

Why is the experimental method better? ›

Advantages of Experimental Research

Experimental research allows you to test your idea in a controlled environment before taking the research to clinical trials. Moreover, it provides the best method to test your theory because of the following advantages: Researchers have firm control over variables to obtain results.

Why is it harder to do experiments in economics? ›

Difficulties in carrying out experiments under controlled conditions to test a hypothesis. We cannot study economic behaviour in a laboratory. This makes it hard to establish clear cause and effect relationships. Economic data is often incomplete, inaccurate or difficult to measure.

What are the factors affecting economic theory? ›

Determinants of economic growth

The four supply factors are natural resources, capital goods, human resources and technology and they have a direct effect on the value of good and services supplied.

Are experimental economists prone to framing effects? ›

An extensive literature demonstrates the existence of framing effects in the laboratory and in questionnaire studies. This paper reports new evidence from a natural field experiment using a subject pool one might expect to be particularly resistant to such effects: experimental economists.

What are experimental factors examples? ›

Experimental factors are those that you can specify and set yourself. For example, the maximum temperature to which you can heat a solution. Classification factors can't be specified or set, but they can be recognized and your samples selected accordingly. For example, a person's age or gender.

What are the 3 main economics? ›

The following are the types of economic systems: Traditional economy. Market economy. Command economy.

What are the big 3 economic systems? ›

There are three main types of economic systems: command, market, and mixed.

What are the 3 primary focus of economics? ›

Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and analyzes the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and nations make to allocate resources.

What type of economy does the United States have? ›

There are many different types of economic systems used throughout the world. Some examples are socialism, communism, and capitalism. The United States has a capitalistic system.

What are the top 3 indicators of economic growth? ›

Indicators of Economic Growth
  • Purchasing Manager Index PMI.
  • Real Gross Domestic Product.
  • Per-Capita Income.

What is the most modern economic theory? ›

Keynesianism is perhaps the single greatest modern economic theory, with all its benefits and flaws. Keynes looked at the role of demand in a market and what happened when there was too much supply and not enough demand.

What is the purpose of economic theory? ›

Economic theories try to explain economic phenomena, to interpret why and how the economy behaves and what is the best to solution - how to influence or to solve the economic phenomena.

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