ExNet III: A Multifunctional Instrument for Social Science Experimentation

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With National Science Foundation support Dr David Willer will design `ExNet (Experimental Network) III, a multipurpose instrument for experimental investigation in the social sciences. Based at two sites within the University of South Carolina at Columbia, the system will permit 60 participants to interact in highly controlled situations. A primary underlying objective of the computer system hardware provided through this award is to develop a `Web-Lab` and to accomplish this goal ExNet III's software will be placed on the Web as shareware. Once on the Web, ExNet III will run experiments both at South Carolina as well as other laboratories nationally and internationally. ExNet III will be constructed using modular programming architecture for experimental designs that can be used as building blocks for an array of future studies. By standardizing data recording, the system will archive new research automatically and also facilitate the archiving of previous research. The resulting large systematic databases, being public, will encourage an array of new analyses, including hopefully the development of new theory using computational approaches. At South Carolina, the laboratory will support research in sociology, economics and accounting. These involve network exchange theory, models of human decision making, bargaining behavior, public good provision and auction bidding strategies. The laboratory will be widely used by graduate students and play an important role in student education.