The Busara Center: A Laboratory Environment for Developing Countries

Abstract

While Randomized Controlled Trials and lab-in-the-field experiments have become more common in development economics in recent years, the rigor and control of laboratory-based experiments has so far been difficult to access in developing countries. Here we describe the use of various cognitive tests in developing countries, illustrated using data from the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics, a state-of-the-art laboratory for behavioral and experimental economics in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to we provide information on the development of the lab itself, including data on physical and technical setup and infrastructure, protocols for study administration, respondent and data flow, and subject recruitment, payment, and subject pool composition, and outline how researchers can use the lab.