Empirical Analysis

Abstract

The research method employed within this study is that of a controlled experiment. Following Peecher and Solomon (2001), the term “experiment” is used to refer to “a method of inquiry in which the researcher randomly assigns participants within a controlled setting that allows reproduction of some phenomenon (e.g., an individual’s decision process), actively manipulates antecedents hypothesized to affect the nature of the phenomenon and then makes various measurements of the phenomenon, often measurements that could not be made in a natural setting”. The experiment has been viewed as a strong and influential research method that enables the researcher to explain, rather than merely explore and describe, behavioral phenomena, thereby achieving the highest degree of scientific understanding.