Real-Effort Tasks in Laboratory Experiments

Abstract

Laboratory experiments used in economics are differentiated in terms of many technical features. One of these technical features is whether the experiment involves a real-effort task. A real-effort task can be defined as a task in which the experiment participants work on aAreal job during the experiment, spend time and effort, determine their performance level and as a result earn a certain amount of money. This study aims to examine real-effort tasks that are frequently used in experimental economics studies, and to discuss potential problems that researchers may face when conducting experiments with real- effort tasks. Within the scope of this review, real-effort tasks commonly used in the literature are categorized under four groups: real-effort tasks based on mathematical operations, puzzles, slider task, and word encryption tasks. Choice of the real-effort task is important for an experimental study because it may lead to misinterpretation of the findings. AAsAa result of the study, the learning effect, the boredom of the task and the abilities required by the task are seen as possible sources of measurement error. While the learning effect and boredom may cause problems especially in within-subject designs, it was found that differences in the abilities of participants may cause measurement errors especially in between-subject designs.