Towards establishing a policy design lab: Inducing social groups in an economic experiment lab for incentive design

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H00832
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07010:Economic theory-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Mitani Yohei 京都大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (70647172)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Munro Alistair 政策研究大学院大学, 政策研究科, 教授 (10515654) ; 高野 久紀 京都大学, 経済学研究科, 准教授 (40450548) ; 星野 匡郎 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 准教授 (80726430)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 制度設計 / フィールド実験 / ラボ実験 / ピア効果 / 私有地保全 / サーベイ実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We first used micro-econometric analysis and field experiments to reveal the economic characteristics of existing social groups, such as social interaction and shared beliefs and norms. We also used laboratory and survey experiments to investigate policy design that utilizes social incentives in groups. First, we found that peer effects exist on landowners' participation in incentive programs, indicating the importance of social incentives in policy design. Second, we found that real-life interactions among rural villagers contribute significantly to cooperation in dilemma situations and that payoff-dominant equilibrium is less likely to be achieved among villagers with strong equality norms. Third, we investigated incentive design that encourages coordination and cooperation in large groups and drew implications for bonus and information policy designs.

Free Research Field

応用経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的貢献として、識別が難しい環境農業政策におけるピア効果の実証に成功した点、フィールド実験を用いて農山村の行動規範の役割の解明に成功した点、ラボ実験に入子型のグループ構造を導入し、協調や協力を促す制度を検討した点、社会的インセンティブを用いた制度設計を検討し、介入効果の生じるひとつメカニズムを提示した点などが挙げられる。これらの成果は、日本の伝統的共同体の役割の理解を深めた点、環境保全政策や健康政策の政策設計に知見を与えた点など社会的貢献があると考えられる。