Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/56814 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
Jena Economic Research Papers No. 2011,049
Publisher: 
Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena
Abstract: 
In this paper we treat instructions as an experimental variable. Using a public good game, we study how the instructions' format affects the participants' understanding of the experiment, their speed of play and their experimental behavior. We show that longer instructions do not significantly improve the subjects' understanding of the experiment; on-screen instructions shorten average decision times with respect to on-paper instructions, and requiring forced inputs reduces waiting times, in particular for the slowest subjects. Consistent with cognitive load theory, we find that short, on-screen instructions which require forced inputs improve on subjects' comprehension and familiarity with the experimental task, and they contribute to reduce both decision and waiting times without affecting the overall pattern of contributions.
Subjects: 
cognitive load theory
comprehension
distraction
experimental instructions
JEL: 
C72
C90
H41
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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