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Lab vs online experiments: no differences

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Prissé

    (LoyolaBehLab, Universidad Loyola Andalucía)

  • Diego Jorrat

    (LoyolaBehLab, Universidad Loyola Andalucía)

Abstract

We ran an experiment to study whether lack of control, meaning not controlling the experimental environment, has an effect on experimental results. Subjects were recruited following standard procedures and randomly assigned to complete the experiment online or in the laboratory. The experimental design is otherwise identical between conditions. Results suggest that there are no differences between conditions, except for a larger percentage of online subjects donating nothing in the Dictator Game.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Prissé & Diego Jorrat, 2022. "Lab vs online experiments: no differences," Working Papers 137, Red Nacional de Investigadores en Economía (RedNIE).
    • Handle: RePEc:aoz:wpaper:137
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    File URL: https://rednie.eco.unc.edu.ar/files/DT/137.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

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    5. Burgstaller, Lilith & Pfeil, Katharina, 2024. "You don’t need an invoice, do you? An online experiment on collaborative tax evasion," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    6. Ekström, Mathias & Bjorvatn, Kjetil & Mota, Pablo Soto & Sjåstad, Hallgeir, 2025. "Making a promise increases the moral cost of lying: Evidence from Norway and the United States," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    7. Catherine Eckel & Rick K. Wilson & Sora Youn, 2024. "Eager beavers v. lazy slugs: selection effects in experiments with social preferences," Journal of the Economic Science Association, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 10(2), pages 569-577, December.
    8. Yohei Mitani & Nobuyuki Hanaki, 2025. "Pay a lot to a few instead of a bit to all! Evidence from online donation experiments," ISER Discussion Paper 1273, Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of Osaka.
    9. Sophie Massin & Phu Nguyen-Van & Dimitri Dubois & Marc Willinger & Bruno Ventelou, 2025. "Hysteresis in Addictive Consumption Depends on Time Preferences," Working Papers hal-05266721, HAL.
    10. Zhang, Yinjunjie & Hoffmann, Manuel & Sara, Raisa & Eckel, Catherine, 2024. "Fairness preferences revisited," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 223(C), pages 278-306.
    11. Marius Protte, 2025. "Explaining Apparently Inaccurate Self-assessments of Relative Performance: A Replication and Adaptation of 'Overconfident: Do you put your money on it?' by Hoelzl and Rustichini (2005)," Papers 2507.15568, arXiv.org.
    12. Pin, Paolo & Rotesi, Tiziano, 2023. "App-based experiments," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    13. Pablo Brañas-Garza & Diego Jorrat & Antonio M. Espín & Angel Sánchez, 2023. "Paid and hypothetical time preferences are the same: lab, field and online evidence," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 26(2), pages 412-434, April.
    14. Pfeil, Katharina & Kasper, Matthias & Necker, Sarah & Feld, Lars P., 2025. "Asymmetric labor supply responses to tax rate reform: Experimental evidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    15. Burgstaller, Lilith & Pfeil, Katharina, 2024. "Why whistleblowing does not deter collaborative tax evasion," Freiburg Discussion Papers on Constitutional Economics 24/3, Walter Eucken Institut e.V..
    16. Arifovic, Jasmina & de Jong, Johan & Kopányi-Peuker, Anita, 2024. "Bank choice, bank runs, and coordination in the presence of two banks," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 392-410.
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    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D15 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Intertemporal Household Choice; Life Cycle Models and Saving

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