-
Using controlled experiments to explore the social sciences, from theory to application, in the lab and in the field.
Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science
The Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science (CBESS) was established in 2007 by the Faculty of Social Science at University of East Anglia. The Centre's mission is to further the long tradition at UEA of using controlled laboratory and field experiments to study key questions in the social sciences, from foundational and methodological issues to applied research.
What's on in CBESS
NEWS-2013-30-01- Grischa Green Consumerism
Emission trading schemes limit green consumerism 30th January 2013
New research by Dr Grischa Perino from the School of Economics suggests that many of the recommendations made by government agencies and environmental NGOs about how to reduce an individual's carbon footprint are inappropriate in the European Union, because of its Emission Trading System (EU ETS) which caps emissions from certain industries and allows regulated sources to trade emission allowances. Advice commonly offered, for example by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, includes reducing the number of flights taken, replacing energy-hungry appliances and light bulbs with energy efficient ones and eating less red meat. But Dr Perino says that once the cap is in place installing energy efficient light bulbs, flying less and many other recommended actions have no impact on total emissions, as they are simply relocated to other sources via the EU ETS trading mechanism. Only eating less meat actually reduces total emissions as, in contrast to electricity production and aviation, emissions from agriculture are not covered by the EU ETS. "Consumers who want to reduce the impact of their consumption and lifestyle should focus on reducing emissions not regulated by the EU ETS. Driving your car less, eating less red meat and improving the insulation of your home substantially reduces your carbon footprint."
Link to full press release: http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2013/January/emissions-trading-schemes-green-consumerism
Link to full paper: http://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/166500/0/CBESS-13-01/bb866dfc-ce62-4d3b-8142-5252120f4e2f
NEWS-2012-04-11- Turocy Research Grant
Dr Turocy is awarded a research grant 23th March 2012
CBESS Director Dr. Theodore Turocy has been awarded a research grant by the British Academy for his project "Bidding in laboratory auctions: a direct comparison of private, common, and general affiliated values settings".
The Centre warmly congratulates Dr. Turocy on this achievement.
CBESS-13-02
How Salient is Inefficient Equality in Bargaining? An Experimental Note
Anders Poulsen Odile Poulsen Zoe Betts
Date: February 2013 Reference Number: CBESS-13-02
How salient is an equal outcome in a bargaining game if it is inefficient? We vary the inefficiency of the equal earnings equilibrium, and observe that this equilibrium is much more salient when there are two rather than one efficient unequal equilibrium alternative. This suggests that equality is salient in coordination and bargaining games primarily because it offers players a way to avoid a coordination failure in selecting between efficient unequal equilibria, and less because subjects have a strong inherent preference for equality.
CBESS-13-01
Private provision of public goods in a second-best world: Cap-and-trade schemes limit green consumerism
Date: January 2013 Reference Number: CBESS-13-01
Private provision of public goods can only supplement government provision if individual actions affect the level of the public good. Cap-and-trade schemes reduce the overuse of common resources such as a stable climate or fish stocks by imposing a binding cap on total use by regulated agents. Any private contributions provided by means of e.g. green consumerism or life-style choices within such a scheme only impacts on who uses the resource but leaves total use unaffected. Perfect offsetting of marginal contributions is a key design element of cap-and-trade schemes. As real world cap-and-trade policies like the EU Emission Trading System have incomplete coverage, understanding what they cover is crucial for individuals aiming to contribute. Otherwise contribution efforts backfire.
Publications
PUB-2013-105- Cabrera, Fatas, et al
Susana Cabrera; Enrique Fatás; Francis Lagos; Juan A. Lacomba. In press. Vertically splitting a firm: An experiment on promotion and relegation in team production. Experimental Economics.
PUB-2013-104- Isoni et al
Andrea Isoni; Anders Poulsen; Robert Sugden; Kei Tsutsui. 2013. Focal points in tacit bargaining games: experimental evidence. European Economic Review 59, 167-188. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2012.12.005
Seminars
SEM-2013-04-16 Jones
David-Hugh Jones (Essex)
Tuesday, 16th April 2013 (16.10 - 17.30) in ARTS 01.02
Intergroup Revenge: An Experiment On The Causes
SEM-2013-04-23 van Leeuwen
Boris van Leeuwen (Amsterdam)
Tuesday, 23th April 2013 (16.10 - 17.30) in ARTS 01.02
Title TBA