A review of experiments in tourism and hospitality. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Viglia, Giampaolo; Dolnicar, Sara
• Is Part Of: Annals of tourism research. Volume 80(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Experiment -- Validity -- Research design -- Sample size -- Moderator -- Mediator; Tourism -- Periodicals
• DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2020.102858
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-7383

Abstract

Abstract: Well-designed and executed experiments prove cause-and-effect relationships. The ability to draw causal conclusions is critical to knowledge development in any field of research. In this article, we discuss the benefits of experimental designs over alternative research approaches for the social sciences, discuss advantages and disadvantages of different types of experiments, review existing experimental studies specific to tourism and hospitality, and offer guidance to researchers who wish to conduct such studies. Properly executed experiments using actual behaviour of real stakeholders as a dependent variable lead to conclusions with high external validity. Our discussion of practical implementation issues culminates in a checklist for researchers. The article launches the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on experimental research in tourism and hospitality. Highlights: We offer guidance on how to conduct experiments in tourism and hospitality. The article discusses advantages and disadvantages of different types of experiments. We discuss previous impactful articles, focusing on the design of the experiment. We derive the required sample size, and discuss the role of moderators and mediators. Experiments using actual behaviour of real stakeholders change consumer behavior.