Do exogenous macro shocks impact samples composition in online experiments?

Ing. Md Sohanur Rahman

Diplomová práce

Abstract:

Online experiments have become a crucial tool in modern research, offering cost efficiency, scalability, and access to diverse participant pools. However, the reliability and generalizability of findings from these experiments can be influenced by external economic factors. This study is significant because it provides a general understanding of how such macroeconomic conditions affect the demographic characteristics of participants, thereby impacting the validity of research outcomes. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate whether variations in the monthly unemployment rate influence the composition of participants in online experiments conducted on platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). The author employs a quantitative, observational design, analyzing data from approximately 132,000 unique observations collected between 2015 and 2020. The author uses SPSS software to conduct the regression of two models to assess the relationship between the unemployment rate and various demographic variables, including age, gender, single, weekly hours spent and earnings from mTurk. Key findings reveal that higher unemployment leads to more participation from older individuals, women, and highly educated people in online labor markets. Economic downturns also increase weekly earnings on mTurk, showing that online work is counter-cyclical. The study contributes significantly to the understanding of how economic shocks affect online experiment samples. It emphasizes the link between unemployment and participant traits, offering insights for better research design. Future studies should examine other economic shocks and their long-term effects.

Keywords

Exogenous, Macro shocks, Sample composition, Online experiments, Unemployment rate, Demographic characteristics, Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk).

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 4. 4. 2025

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 18. 6. 2025
• Vedoucí: PhD Luca Fumarco
• Oponent: Ing. Michal Kvasnička, Ph.D.

Masarykova univerzita

Ekonomicko-správní fakulta

Magisterský studijní program / obor:
Economics / Economics