Experimental Methods in Decision Studies

OVERVIEW

This subject involves in-depth analysis of experimental design and management, and subsequent data processing for in-laboratory and field experiments on human decision-making, with a focus on choice under uncertainty, inter-temporal choice, and complex choice situations. Experiments include single-subject, small-group, and large-group contexts including financial markets. Emphasis is on incentivised, deception-free experimentation.

The subject is a core subject in the doctoral program Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Design incentivised, deception-free experiments appropriate to testing or exploring theories about human decision-making
• Obtain the required ethics approval
• Choose or build the right computer interface (if applicable)
• Collect and analyse the resulting data in a way that is appropriate for the scientific question at hand
• Calibrate monetary or other incentives.

FURTHER INFORMATION

More information about the subject is available in the University of Melbourne Handbook entry.