Universität Wien

230061 SE Experimental Analysis of Theoretical Models in Economic and Political Sociology (2015S)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 23 - Soziologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 03.03. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 10.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 17.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 24.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 14.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 21.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Seminarraum 3 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 28.04. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 05.05. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 12.05. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 19.05. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 02.06. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 09.06. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 16.06. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 23.06. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß
  • Tuesday 30.06. 13:15 - 14:45 PC-Seminarraum 1 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Untergeschoß

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The course introduces the experimental method for testing empirical emplications of theoretical models in the social sciences. Experimental research on social science models and causal theories belongs to the most rapidly growing perspectives of the disciplines. Since 1990 the number of publications in high-ranking journals based on experimental research has multiplied. With the award of the Nobel prize in economics to the political scientist Elinor Ostrom in 2009 the method has been established as a respected approach next to more traditional methods of empirical research not only in economics but also in sociology and political science. In the first part of the course the foundations of experimental research are explicated. Starting from the concept of causality the differences between theory-testing and inductive perspective are discussed. Afterwards, experimental designs and their internal and external validity are defined and explained, followed by a discussion of the specific conditions of experiments in the social sciences. The substantive background topic of the course are the theories of collective action and common pool resources. Joint action in order to reach a goal and the distribution of scarce resources are core challenges of every society. If left to the rational utility calculus of individuals, insufficient contributions to the collective action and excessive use of common resources are expected. The question thus is which institutional and structural conditions foster self-regulation. The sequential steps of experimental research will be discussed along questions relating to this research field.

Assessment and permitted materials

The exam consists of two parts. For the first part, a two-page essay due on 12 May 2015 has to be written (70%) and contributions to the discussion are expected (30%). The second part consists of an 8-10 page report in which a hypothesis is theoretically elaborated, the experiment to test the hypothesis is described, and the results of a pretest are presented (due on 30 September 2015). The program code of the zTree program of the experiment is to be added in an appendix. The participants are expected to be mutually available as subjects for each others’ experiments. The two partial grades enter the final grade 40:60.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course is designed to impart sufficient knowledge about experimentally testing theoretical models on individual and collective action to autonomously develop and test hypotheses within the framework. In the end, participants are expected to be able to design an experiment, pretest the treatments, and analyze the results. The participants elaborate a specific aspect of the problem of generating or using collective resources and develop an experiment to test the own hypotheses.

Examination topics

The first part of the seminar focuses on the logic of experimental research and its application in the social sciences. In the second part, this logic is transferred to laboratory experiments. The functionality of the software package zTree (Zurich Toolbox for Ready-made Economic Experiments, www.iew.unizh.ch/ztree), which allows for relatively easy programming of laboratory experiments, will be explained.

Reading list

see Moodle

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:39