A z-Tree Crash Course
Programming and Conducting Economic Experiments
Matteo Ploner (University of Trento, Italy)
General Description
The course aims at introducing participants to the use of z-Tree software to run economic experiments.
A description of the software can be found in Fischbacher, U. (2007). z-Tree: Zurich toolbox for ready-made economic experiments. Experimental Economics, 10(2), 171-178. This course adopts version 3.6.7
The course begins with a brief introduction to Experimental Economics and to its methodology. Participants are then assisted in the installation and running of z-Tree software. The programming of a few paradigmatic experiments is discussed in details.
Description of the Teaching Modules
1) Introduction to the Methodology of Experimental Economics
- Motivations to run laboratory experiments in Economics.
- The contribution of experiments to the ongoing debate.
- History of laboratory experiments.
- Methodological considerations.
- Incentives
- Information.
- Repetition.
2) Basics
- Presentation of z-Tree software
- License
- Development
- Diffusion
- Setting up a laboratory: requirements
- How to install z-Tree on your computer/server
- The working of the z-Tree network
- Basic features
- Structure
- Layouts
- Data Input
- Data Output
3) Roles, Matching, Values, Repetitions
-
Basic features of a z-Tree program for economic experiments.
- Assign roles
- Match participants in groups
- Assign values
- Organize repetitions of the decision task
4) Simple 2-player Games
-
Step-by-step illustration of a simple 2-player game.
-
A symmetric coordination game.
-
The ultimatum game.
SLIDES
CODE 1 (coordination)
CODE 2 (ultimatum)
5) Public Goods Games
- Implementation of public goods games
- Repeated interactions
- Conditional cooperation
- Threshold PGG
SLIDES
CODE 1 (PGG)
CODE 2 (conditional coop)