Intro
John List is a revolutionary experimenter whose unique methods and ideas have changed how the field of economics functions. Alongside his close friend and colleague Steven Levitt, List has committed to studying the way people behave in the real world, instead of understanding economics as a theory-based field. His field experiments are far reaching and span across multiple different phenomena; without even knowing it, you may have been involved in some of List’s research. He has conducted formal experiments and informal research on popular phone game Candy Crush, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, and people’s behavior when travelling on United Airlines.1
List’s insights into human behavior have enabled policymakers to use real-life data to be able to better address society’s issues. His atypical way of approaching economics has helped provide answers to problems that have long confounded economists, behavioral scientists, environmental scientists, and philanthropists.
Experimentation should be used in environments that are messy; and I think the profession has had it exactly backwards for decades.
- John List, in a 2012 interview with Region Focus2
