Abstraction in Experimental Design
Testing the Tradeoffs
Seiten
2022
Cambridge University Press (Verlag)
978-1-108-99559-7 (ISBN)
Cambridge University Press (Verlag)
978-1-108-99559-7 (ISBN)
This Element explores how political scientists designing experiments address how abstract their experimental stimuli should be. First, Brutger et al. provide a theoretical framework which identifies and considers the consequences of abstraction. Second, they field a range of survey experiments, varying these levels of abstraction.
Political scientists designing experiments often face the question of how abstract or detailed their experimental stimuli should be. Typically, this question is framed in terms of tradeoffs relating to experimental control and generalizability: the more context introduced into studies, the less control, and the more difficulty generalizing the results. Yet, we have reason to question this tradeoff, and there is relatively little systematic evidence to rely on when calibrating the degree of abstraction in studies. We make two contributions. First, we provide a theoretical framework which identifies and considers the consequences of three dimensions of abstraction in experimental design: situational hypotheticality, actor identity, and contextual detail. Second, we field a range of survey experiments, varying these levels of abstraction. We find that situational hypotheticality does not substantively change experimental results, but increased contextual detail dampens treatment effects and the salience of actor identities moderates results in specific situations.
Political scientists designing experiments often face the question of how abstract or detailed their experimental stimuli should be. Typically, this question is framed in terms of tradeoffs relating to experimental control and generalizability: the more context introduced into studies, the less control, and the more difficulty generalizing the results. Yet, we have reason to question this tradeoff, and there is relatively little systematic evidence to rely on when calibrating the degree of abstraction in studies. We make two contributions. First, we provide a theoretical framework which identifies and considers the consequences of three dimensions of abstraction in experimental design: situational hypotheticality, actor identity, and contextual detail. Second, we field a range of survey experiments, varying these levels of abstraction. We find that situational hypotheticality does not substantively change experimental results, but increased contextual detail dampens treatment effects and the salience of actor identities moderates results in specific situations.
1. Introduction; 2. Conceptual Framework: Dimensions of Abstraction in Experimental Design; 3. Methodological Overview; 4. Situational Hypotheticality; 5. Actor Identities; 6. Contextual Detail; 7. Individual Differences and Heterogeneous Treatment Effects; 8. Conclusion.
| Erscheinungsdatum | 24.10.2022 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | Elements in Experimental Political Science |
| Zusatzinfo | Worked examples or Exercises |
| Verlagsort | Cambridge |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 228 mm |
| Gewicht | 150 g |
| Themenwelt | Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Politische Theorie |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Staat / Verwaltung | |
| Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Empirische Sozialforschung | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-108-99559-4 / 1108995594 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-108-99559-7 / 9781108995597 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
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