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Experimental economics

Experimental economics is the use of experimental methods to evaluate theoretical predictions of economic behaviour. It uses controlled, scientifically-designed experiments to test economic theories under laboratory conditions. Typical empirical research is limited by the fact that only a subset of the set of all possible influences affect (or can be observed to be affecting) economic decision making; therefore, the ability to control for certain influences is limited or non-existent. With experiments, economists can fix some inputs and measure the effects of other inputs in a way that allows ceteris-paribus comparisons.

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Mind & Brain News

January 14, 2026

A massive international brain study has revealed that memory decline with age isn’t driven by a single brain region or gene, but by widespread structural changes across the brain that build up over time. Analyzing thousands of MRI scans and memory ...
Despite longstanding guidelines, many dementia patients are still prescribed brain-altering medications that can raise the risk of falls and confusion. A new study shows that while prescribing has decreased overall, people with cognitive impairment ...
Researchers have discovered a brain activity pattern that can predict which people with mild cognitive impairment are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Using a noninvasive brain scanning technique and a custom analysis tool, they detected ...
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Teens who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost. A new study found that young people who made up for lost weekday sleep had a significantly lower risk of depression. While consistent sleep is still best, weekend catch-up ...
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Many people with multiple sclerosis struggle with balance and coordination, and this study uncovers a hidden reason why. Researchers found that inflammation in the brain disrupts the energy supply of vital movement-controlling neurons. As their ...
A long-running debate over Tamiflu’s safety in children may finally be settled. Researchers found that influenza, not the antiviral medication, was linked to serious neuropsychiatric events like seizures and hallucinations. Even more striking, ...
Nearly all women in STEM graduate programs report feeling like impostors, despite strong evidence of success. This mindset leads many to dismiss their achievements as luck and fear being “found out.” Research links impostorism to worse mental ...
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Researchers compared a traditional Chinese medicine, Yueju Pill, with a standard antidepressant and found both reduced depression symptoms. However, only Yueju Pill increased a brain-supporting protein associated with mood improvement. Brain imaging ...
New research shows that AI doesn’t need endless training data to start acting more like a human brain. When researchers redesigned AI systems to better resemble biological brains, some models produced brain-like activity without any training at ...

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