Experimental Methods for Institutional Analysis of Social–Ecological–Technical Systems
Objectives
The working group serves as a forum for scholars (students, postdocs, senior researchers) interested in the use of experimental methods for understanding the role of institutions and behavior in social–ecological–technical systems. This encompasses empirical, methodical, and conceptual contributions. The working group serves as a forum for scholars (students, postdocs, senior researchers) interested in the use of experimental methods for understanding the role of institutions and behavior in social–ecological–technical systems. This encompasses empirical, methodical, and conceptual contributions. Special emphasis is placed on advancing combinations of experiments with other methods.Special emphasis is placed on advancing combinations of experiments with other methods.
Activities
In regular meetings the members discuss research proposals (e.g., grant applications or thesis proposals), empirical results (e.g., experimental findings from the field), methodical issues (e.g., experimental design), and theoretical foundations (e.g., developments in Behavioral Economics). On a regular basis guests are invited for talks. The group also organizes workshops, special sessions at conferences, joint publications, and is engaged in national and international networking activities.
Group members
Contact details of the group speakers
1. Jens Rommel, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
Phone: +49(0) 33432 82-483
E-mail: jens.rommel@zalf.de
2. Ilona M. Otto, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Phone: +49(0) 331-288-2667
E-mail: ilona.otto@pik-potsdam.de
Selected past events
We have organized a workshop in June 2012 on “Experiments in the lab and field on governance of Social-Ecological Systems,” led by Marco A. Janssen, Director of the Center for Behavior, Institutions, and the Environment, Arizona State University, USA.
Selected publications from group members
2017
Rommel, J., Hermann, D., Müller, M., & Mußhoff, O. (2017). Comprehension in risk elicitation experiments. Applied Economics Letters, 24(9), 627–634.
2016
Ibele, B., Sandri, S., & Zikos, D. (2016). Endogenous Versus Exogenous Rules in Water Management: An Experimental Cross-country Comparison. Mediterranean Politics, in pres.
Müller, M., Rommel, J., & Kimmich, C. (2016). Farmers’ Adoption of Irrigation Technologies: Experimental Evidence from a Coordination Game with Positive Network Externalities in India. German Economic Review, in press.
2015
Baerlein, T., Kasymov, U., & Zikos, D. (2015). Self-Governance and Sustainable Common Pool Resource Management in Kyrgyzstan. Sustainability, 7(1), 496–521.
Nayak, B. P., Werthmann, C., & Aggarwal, V. (2015). Trust and cooperation among urban poor for transition to cleaner and modern cooking fuel. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 14, 116–127.
Otto, I.M., Biewald, A., Coumou, D., Feulner, G., Köhler, C., Nocke, T., Blok, A., Gröber, A., Selchow, S., Tyfield, D., Volkmer, I., Schellnhuber, & H.J., Beck, U. (2015). Socio-economic data for global environmental change research. Nature Climate Change, 5, 503–506.
Rommel, J. (2015). What can economic experiments tell us about institutional change in social–ecological systems? Environmental Science & Policy, 53, 96–104.
Rommel, J., Buttmann, V., Liebig, G., Schönwetter, S., & Svart-Gröger, V. (2015). Motivation crowding theory and pro-environmental behavior: Experimental evidence. Economics Letters, 129, 42–44.
Werthmann, C. (2015). What makes institutional crafting successful? Applying the SES to case studies from India and the greater Mekong Region. Environmental Science & Policy, 53, 165–174.
2014
Chidambaram, B., Janssen, M. A., Rommel, J., & Zikos, D. (2014). Commuters’ mode choice as a coordination problem: A framed field experiment on traffic policy in Hyderabad, India. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 65, 9–22.
Liebig, G., & Rommel, J. (2014). Active and Forced Choice for Overcoming Status Quo Bias: A Field Experiment on the Adoption of “No junk mail” Stickers in Berlin, Germany. Journal of Consumer Policy, 37(3), 423–435.
Otto, I. M., & Wechsung, F. (2014). The effects of rules and communication in a behavioral irrigation experiment with power asymmetries carried out in North China. Ecological Economics, 99, 10–20.