Peeling back the onion: Using latent class analysis to uncover heterogeneous responses to stated preference surveys

James Hammitt and Daniel Herrera-Araujo

Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2018, vol. 87, issue C, 165-189

Abstract: We develop validity tests for application to stated-preference estimates of WTP to reduce mortality risk, i.e., value per statistical life (VSL), and apply these to data obtained by surveying a representative sample of French adults over the internet. These tests (WTP nearly proportional to risk reduction, insensitive to small differences in baseline risk, increasing in income, and consistent with budget constraints) are satisfied by a conventional single-regression analysis of our data. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we identify important differences between respondents in their consistency with the validity tests and control for much of this heterogeneity. Estimates of VSL from the latent class that is consistent with the validity tests are smaller than estimates from the standard analysis. We estimate mean VSL for adults of about 2 million € and for children (based on parents' WTP) of about 6 million €.

Keywords: Value per statistical life; Latent class analysis; Paradata; Scope sensitivity; Income elasticity; Pesticides; Children (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D03 D61 D64 I18 Q18 Q51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Working Paper: Peeling back the onion: Using latent class analysis to uncover heterogeneous responses to stated preference surveys (2018)
Working Paper: Peeling back the onion: Using latent class analysis to uncover heterogeneous responses to stated preference surveys (2018)
Working Paper: Peeling back the onion: Using latent class analysis to uncover heterogeneous responses to stated preference surveys (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:87:y:2018:i:c:p:165-189

DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2017.06.006

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