Are preferences for food quality attributes really normally distributed? An analysis using flexible mixing distributions

Vincenzina Caputo, Riccardo Scarpa, Rodolfo Nayga and David Ortega

Journal of choice modelling, 2018, vol. 28, issue C, 10-27

Abstract: We empirically question the commonly invoked assumption of normality of taste distribution in mixed logit models with continuous random parameters. We use a WTP-space random utility discrete choice model with flexible distributions on data from two choice experiments regarding beef with nested set of quality attributes. We specifically focus on distributional features such as asymmetry, multi-modality and range of variation, and find little support for normality. Our results are robust to attribute dimensionality in experimental design. Implications of our results for practitioners in the field are discussed.

Keywords: Flexible taste distributions; Mixed logit; Logit mixed logit; Food preferences; Preference heterogneity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755534517301914
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
Working Paper: Are Preferences for Food Quality Attributes Really Normally Distributed? An Analysis Using Flexible Mixing Distributions (2017)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eejocm:v:28:y:2018:i:c:p:10-27

DOI: 10.1016/j.jocm.2018.04.003

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of choice modelling is currently edited by S. Hess and J.M. Rose

More articles in Journal of choice modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().