UiA research fellow attending workshop with Nobel Prize winner

The 8^thof January marks the start of a week’s experimental economics workshop at Chapman University in California, USA. Seldal, a doctoral research fellow at UiA’s School of Business and Law, is looking forward to taking part in this event.

Research Fellow Mette Marie Næser Seldal is doing research on experimental economy. 

Experimental economy

“The workshop is organised by IFREE, an organisation founded by Vernon L. Smith. He won the Nobel Prize in Economical Science in 2002 with Daniel Kahneman for his work on experimental economics. Smith will be attending the workshop, so it will be exciting to work with people who are very skilled,” Seldal says.

Seldal has a doctoral degree in Norwegian’s everyday economy with primary focus on subjects related to pensions and savings (schemes). 

“In cooperation with Sbanken, we will, among other things, run ‘nudging’ experiments in mobile bank systems, and for instance try to get people to save more for pension. People need a lot more information about pensions in general, and although we often know what the right choices are, there are many who do not make them. I will present some of these ideas at the workshop, and I look forward to receiving feedback on my ideas from experts," Seldal says.

Nobel prize winner Vernon L. Smith will be participating in the workshop.

Earning money with the experiments

While attending the workshop, PhD scholars from all over the world will learn about laboratory experiments on economics, where the participants will also be used in the experiments. 

“It will be really fun. One can actually earn money in these experiments. Understandably, we will not receive much information about it in advance in order to maximize the quality of the experiments. At a later stage, we will also learn more on how to  conduct such experiments ourselves,” Seldal says.