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Power(ful) guidelines for experimental economists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2025

Kathryn N. Vasilaky Open the ORCID record for Kathryn N. Vasilaky [Opens in a new window]  and
J. Michelle Brock
Kathryn N. Vasilaky*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
J. Michelle Brock*
Affiliation:
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and CEPR, One Exchange Square, London EC2A 2JN, UK
*
e-mail: kvasilak@calpoly.edu
brockM@ebrd.com
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Abstract

Statistical power is an important detail to consider in the design phase of any experiment. This paper serves as a reference for experimental economists on power calculations. We synthesize many of the questions and issues frequently brought up regarding power calculations and the literature that surrounds that. We provide practical coded examples and tools available for calculating power, and suggest when and how to report power calculations in published studies.

Keywords

PowerExperimentsDesignSignificance

JEL classification

C9: Design of Experiments
Type
Original Paper
Information
Journal of the Economic Science Association , Volume 6 , Issue 2: Special Issue: Statistical Issues for Experimental Economists , December 2020 , pp. 189 - 212
Copyright
Copyright © Economic Science Association 2020

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Footnotes

Thanks to contributions from the ESA discussion forum. We gratefully acknowledge the editors and Eduardo Zambrano for very helpful comments.

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