University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

This volume contains a summary of the many areas where the experimental economics methodology has impacted economics research. Our understanding of how real people make decisions in markets, games, politics, bargaining and other situations has dramatically changed due to the insights provided by the pioneering research described in this book. 

On a more personal note, I benefited greatly in my research from learning from, working with, and simply being associated with many of the researchers involved in the editing and publishing of this volume. Vernon Smith, along with Elizabeth Hoffman and Mark Isaac, gave me my first introduction to experiments when I worked as an undergraduate programmer in his laboratory at the University of Arizona. Charlie Plott has been an excellent mentor and co-author throughout my career. 

Hopefully, this volume will provide some aspiring economist the necessary background to begin their own experimental research. It is a choice that I have never regretted.