Technische Universität München

Experimental research with the iPhone

Abstract

Experiments have played a key role in economic sciences. In 2002, Vernon Smith was awarded the Nobel prize "for having established laboratory experiments as a tool in empirical economic analysis, especially in the study of alternative market mechanisms". And Reinhard Selten, the only German Nobel prize laureate in economics (1994), can be considered as one of the founding fathers of experimental economics. Traditionally, researchers have performed experiments where they have been able to reach their participants. Vernon Smith invited his students in the classroom to his experiments, Daniel Kahneman analyzed responses of students and faculty members for his groundbreaking prospect theory, and Reinhard Selten founded an experimental laboratory in 1984.

The project aims at examining contextual economic decision making. We developed the MobXamp app for economic experiments on the iPhone to enable participants to perform experiments anytime and anywhere at their professional and familiar surroundings. One example of various experiments focuses on economic decisions of managers and entrepreneurs depending on their particular environment at the time of decision making.

The registered participants will get questions on their iPhone via push notification. Therefore, please make sure that your iPhone is continually switched on during the test series. The experiments are scheduled for 10 days. Within this period you will get a bunch of questions three times a day.

By completion of the test series you will have the chance to win a brand new iPad!

Download MobXamp from the iTunes Store:

itunes.apple.com/de/app/mobile-experience-sampling/id375547220

Registration:

Please click here to register for the Mobile Experience Sampling Experiment.