Do Natural Field Experiments Afford Researchers More or Less Control than Laboratory Experiments?
探讨自然田野实验如何在某些方面比实验室实验提供更多控制，因为实验室实验可能因参与者选择性退出而受限，而田野实验通过隐蔽性避免了这一问题。
A commonly held view is that laboratory experiments provide researchers with more “control” than natural field experiments. This paper explores how natural field experiments can provide researchers with more control than laboratory experiments. While laboratory experiments provide researchers with a high degree of control in the environment which participants agree to be experimental subjects, when participants systematically opt out of laboratory experiments, the researcher's ability to manipulate certain variables is limited. In contrast, natural field experiments bypass the participation decision altogether due to their covertness, and they allow for a potentially more diverse participant pool within the market of interest.