Created in 2017, the experimental economics laboratory is a platform developed by CRESE researchers to study human behaviour in controlled economic environments. The experiments carried out enable the predictions of economic theories to be tested in simplified situations, while precisely controlling the variables involved.
The Besançon Experimental Economics Laboratory is co-directed by François Cochard and Emmanuel Peterlé. In addition to traditional infrastructure, it has a mobile laboratory consisting of around twenty tablets, enabling experiments to be conducted directly in the field.
Among the research topics studied in Besançon using experimental methodology are:
- Which incentive systems promote cooperation within teams?
- How do individuals make decisions in the face of uncertainty or risk?
- How do groups differ from individuals in their decision-making?
- Under what conditions do social preferences influence discrimination or fairness in exchanges?
- How do behavioural biases influence the strategies of auction participants and can they lead to market inefficiencies?
- What is the impact of transparency and reputation tools on trust in institutions?
Publications based on laboratory experiments
The data collected during experiments conducted in Besançon have contributed to numerous publications in international peer-reviewed journals. By way of illustration, here is a selection of experimental work carried out by CRESE experimentalists since the creation of the experimental economics laboratory in 2017:
Cochard, F., Peterlé E., Tisserand J.-C. (2025). “Do Donation Ceilings Increase Contributions? Evidence from an Experimental Study.”. Economics Letters, A paraître
Cochard, F., Flage, A. (2024). “Sharing Losses in Dictator and Ultimatum Games: A Meta-Analysis”. Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 102, 102713.
Couprie H., Peterlé E., Tisserand J.-C. (2024). “Mécanismes de sécurisation des revenus pour les travailleurs précaires et qualité des relations sociales : une étude expérimentale.” Revue d’Économie Politique, 134(3).
Brisset, K., Cochard, F., Lambert, E.-A. (2023). “Is Amnesty Plus More Successful in Fighting Multimarket Cartels? An Exploratory Analysis”. Review of Industrial Organization, Vol. 63(2), 211-237.
Borzino N., Fatas E., Peterlé E. (2023). “In transparency we trust: an experimental study of reputation, transparency, and signaling.” Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 106.
Jacob, J., Lambert È.-A., Peterlé, E. (2022). “Several liability with sequential care: an experiment”. European Journal of Law and Economics, 54, 238-326.
Brisset, K., Cochard, F., Kane, E.-H. (2021). “Envol du marché du luxe de seconde main : le rôle des enchères en ligne”. Revue Française d’Économie, Vol. 2, 197-202.
Bchir, A. M., Cochard, F., Rozan, A., Sarr, H. (2021). “Is the ‘Average Pigouvian Tax’ Robust to the Size of the Group of Polluters?”. Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Vol. 102(3), 285-295.
Cochard, F., Le Gallo, J., Georgantzis, N., Tisserand, J.-C. (2021). “Social Preferences Across Different Populations: Meta-Analyses on the Ultimatum and Dictator Games”. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Vol. 90, 101613.
Gabuthy Y., Peterlé E., Tisserand J.-C. (2021). “Legal fees, cost-shifting rules and litigation: experimental evidence.” Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Vol. 93, 101705.
Beugnot J., Peterlé E. (2020). “Gender bias in job referrals: An experimental test.” Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 76, 102209.
Cochard, F., Flage, A., Grolleau, G., Sutan, A. (2020). “Are Dictators More Generous in Loss Contexts?”. Social Choice and Welfare, Vol. 55(4), 845-866.
Brisset, K., Cochard, F., Maréchal, F. (2020). “The Effect of a Right-of-First-Refusal Clause in a First-Price Auction with Heterogeneous Risk-Averse Bidders”. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, Vol. 176(3), 526-548.
Cochard, F., Flage, A., Peterle, E. (2019). “Intermediation and Discrimination in an Investment Game: An Experimental Study”. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Vol. 168, 196-208.
Brisset, K., Cochard, F., Lambert, E.-A. (2019). “Lutte contre les cartels multi-marchés : une comparaison expérimentale des programmes de clémence américain et européen”. Revue Économique, Vol. 70, 1171-1186.
Lambert È.-A., Peterlé E., Tisserand J.-C. (2019). “Pretrial settlement and coercion: an experiment.” International Review of Law and Economics, Vol. 60, 105849.
Sarr, H., Bchir, M. A., Cochard, F., Rozan, A. (2018). “Nonpoint Source Pollution: Experiments on the Average Pigouvian Tax Under Costly Communication”. European Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 46, 529-550.
Cochard, F., Couprie, H., Hopfensitz, A. (2018). “What if Women Earned More Than Their Spouses? An Experimental Investigation of Work Division in Couples”. Experimental Economics, Vol. 21, 50-71.
Loheac, Y., …, Sutan, A. (2017). “Mise en place d’une expérience avec le grand public : entre recherche, vulgarisation et pédagogie”. Revue Économique, Vol. 5, 941-953.
