Experimental economics has moved beyond the traditional focus on market mechanisms
and the “invisible hand” by applying sociological and socio-psychological knowledge in
the study of rationality, markets, and efficiency. This knowledge includes social preferences,
social norms, and cross-cultural variation in motivations. In turn, the renewed interest
in causation, social mechanisms, and middle-range theories in sociology has led to
a renaissance of research employing experimental methods. This includes laboratory experiments
but also a wide range of field experiments with diverse samples and settings.
By focusing on a set of research topics that have proven to be of substantive interest to
both disciplines—cooperation in social dilemmas, trust and trustworthiness, and social
norms—this article highlights innovative interdisciplinary research that connects experimental
economics with experimental sociology. Experimental economics and experimental
sociology can still learn much from each other, providing economists and sociologists
with an opportunity to collaborate and advance knowledge on a range of underexplored
topics of interest to both disciplines.
