Cournot Game: Admin Introduction (Continued)

Experiment Setup: The next step in this sequence is the Set Parameters screen that lets you alter the default settings if you wish. Then you go to a Show Matchings screen that shows how players are matched with each other, by round. Note: You should never reload the Show Matchings screen during an experiment, since this will reconfigure the random matchings and erase existing data.

Tracking Results: After looking at the matchings, continue to the Admin Results page where you can watch subjects as they log in. When the Results page is refreshed, you will see any new results that have come in since the last time the page was loaded. This page can be saved, printed, or projected during the subsequent class discussion. You can also read instructions and send messages to participants from links on this page. At the bottom of the results page, there is a Create Data Table link that produces an unformatted block of data, with column headings, which can be copied and pasted into a spreadsheet program like Excel. If your connection is lost or you wish to watch results on a different computer from the one that was used to set up the experiment, you can use the CR View program to go directly to the results page for an ongoing experiment without erasing data.

Subject Login: The participants can begin the login phase after you finish the setup. They will need to use your session name when they log in from:

http://veconlab.econ.virginia.edu/login.html

so all you need to tell them is the login address and your session name, which serves as a mailbox for data storage and message exchange. Note: Participants do not need their own session names. The login page also has an emergency restart link that should be used if anyone becomes disconnected or has to switch computers. This Login link should be added to the browser's list of Favorite sites for each of the computers in your classroom or laboratory.

Recommended Testing: A simple (5-10 minute) test is essential to develop the confidence and experience needed for a smooth classroom implementation. To test this program, go ahead to the next pages to set up an experiment for only two participants (not necessary, but it speeds up the testing). Continue until you reach the results page with a message that "Only 0 of two participants have logged in." Then, open two new browser windows (on the same computer or on different computers), and go to the participant login page at the above address. After logging in each of the players using your session name, you can go through the instructions pages and make decisions for them, and watch the decisions and earnings show up once the Admin Results page is refreshed. From this page, you can also practice reading instructions, sending messages, and creating a data table that is copied and pasted into a spreadsheet.

Vecon Lab -