Stated Preferences, Real Behaviour and Anchoring: Some Empirical Evidence

We compare different contingent valuation question formats with each other and with observed behaviour for a non-monetary estimation task, the expected number of kilometers travelled by automobile. Open-ended questions, open-ended follow-up questions, dichotomous choice (DC) questions, and double-bound DC questions are included. The single and double-bound DC questions result in an estimated mean about twice as high as the actual value and the open-ended mean. The DC question overestimation seems to be due to an anchoring effect leading to yea-saying behaviour. Our results about the difference between DC questions and open-ended questions is consistent with the pattern observed in contingent valuations studies of the willingness to pay. Our results indicates that DC questions seem to be associated with a general overestimation problem that is present even for simple non-monetary estimation tasks.     

服务业发展与人均收入的关系:基于分位数回归的实证研究

利用118个国家和地区1980-2005年服务业发展和人均收入的非平衡面板数据,采用分量回归的方法,在Fuchs的基础上对两者的关系进行研究。结果发现,服务业就业比重和人均GDP之间存在着显著并且稳定的正相关关系,服务业就业比重随着人均GDP的增加逐渐提高,这与Fuchs研究结论相同;与Fuchs不同的是,本文通过分位数回归还可以看出人均GDP的需求效应在服务业发展的不同阶段的影响程度的变化。在服务业发展的较低阶段,人均GDP的需求效应对服务业发展的作用较大;在服务业发展的较高阶段,人均GDP的需求效应对服务业发展的作用相对较小。     

正规金融发展、非正规金融发展对城乡收入差距的影响——基于地级市层面数据的分位数回归分析

在理论剖析正规金融发展、非正规金融发展对城乡收入差距影响的基础上,基于2000—2013年中国225个地级市的面板数据,分别利用分位数回归方法和OLS回归方法对之进行了实证分析。结果显示:正规金融发展和非正规金融发展会影响城乡收入差距,就业结构、固定资产投资、城镇化水平和教育发展水平等也对城乡收入差距产生影响;在不同的分位点,正规金融发展、非正规金融发展对城乡收入差距的影响不同,而就业结构、固定资产投资、城镇化水平和教育发展水平等的影响未发生变化。     

行业属性对劳动报酬的边际效应及其细部特征——基于分位数回归模型的实证研究

目前学术界普遍使用的基于最小二乘法的传统线性回归方法不但不能分析行业属性对劳动报酬边际效应的细部特征,而且行业劳动报酬分布具有的非正态分布特征还会严重影响模型的估计结果,误导分析结论,而现代计量经济学中的分位数回归模型可以有效地解决上述问题.文章使用分位数回归模型方法对影响劳动报酬的行业属性变量进行了选择,测算了有关行业属性变量在不同部门、不同分位点上对劳动报酬的边际效应,分析了边际效应的细部特征与变化规律.     

The Residency Discount for Rents in Germany and the Tenancy Law Reform Act 2001: Evidence from Quantile Regressions

Most countries show a residency discount in rents for sitting tenants. In the wake of strong rent increases and housing shortages, Germany implemented a reform in 2001 to curtail rent increases. Based on linked housing‐tenant data for Germany, this paper estimates panel OLS and quantile regressions of rents within tenancies. The results show that rents deflated by the CPI increase strongly from 1984 until the reform in 2001, and there is a reversal in the trend afterwards. Before the reform, there is a significant residence discount which decreases in absolute value with tenure. The reform reduces rents, in particular for expensive apartments and for new leases. There is no residency discount after the reform.     

Multivariate Mixed Models for Open-Ended Contingent Valuation Data: Willingness To Pay For Conservation of Monk Seals

Although dichotomous choice (DC) contingent valuation (CV) has been recommended by the US NOAA 'blue-ribbon' panel for large-scale contingent valuation studies, useful information can still be obtained from smaller, open-ended (OE) studies, often undertaken as a precursor to a DC survey. The CV study considered here was carried out in Greece and looked at willingness-to-pay (WTP) for protecting the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus-monachus) in the Aegean area. This is the most endangered seal in the world, and the application of the CV methodology was the first such application in Greece. The OE data consist of two responses: first, a binary response detailing whether or not respondents were in principle prepared to pay for the protection of this seal; secondly, those respondents who answered 'yes' to the first question were then asked to state their maximum WTP for such protection. A multivariate binomial – log-normal mixture model is used to develop a bid function including explanatory variables such as income, sex, age and education. Such a modelling approach provides an alternative to more commonplace tobit estimation. However, the model is extended to include further information which was collected on:(a) an increased WTP amount given in response to information that the initial WTP amount may not be enough to prevent the extinction of the seal;(b) respondents were asked to divide their final WTP amount between use, option and existence values, the latter requiring a multivariate model with four binary and four continuous responses per individual in the same model.The discussion focuses on the methodological issues raised with some comment on the substantive interpretation of results.     

Comparing Ranking and Contingent Valuation for Valuing Human Lives, Applying Nested and Non-Nested Logit Models

The aim of this paper is to investigate whetherrespondents perceive a discrete-choice contingentvaluation (DC-CVM) question differently from a rankingquestion. We combine the two approaches to valuepublic projects that try to prevent people from dyingprematurely. The combined valuation procedure enablesus to investigate the internal consistency of theutility structure between choices, applying nested andnon-nested logit models. If the preference structureis allowed to shift, the relative utility weights ofthe attributes differ between the valuation questions,and the willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimate from thecombined procedure changes.     

政策改革、公共开支与居民消费——基于省际面板数据的分位数回归研究

以1998年前后教育、医疗、社会保障及住房等政策改革为分界点,利用其前后省际面板数据,采用分位数技术分析了公共开支对居民消费的影响。研究发现:教育、医疗、行政管理费以及公共投资开支在改革前后,对居民消费的影响无论从方向上还是从变动趋势上都有显著差异;教育、医疗公共开支在改革后一直是抑制居民消费,而且抑制作用明显大于改革之前;行政管理费开支在改革前一些年份抑制居民消费,在改革后却较大地促进了居民消费;公共投资支出在改革前后对居民消费一直有拉动作用,但是效果在逐步减弱,改革后比改革前波动性更大。     

Respondent direct experience and contingent willingness to pay for new commodities: a switching endogenous interval regression analysis

Most environmental economists argue that direct experience with the good being valuated, or with similar goods, is a precondition for providing valid willingness to pay (WTP) responses to contingent valuation questions. Two questions are posed in this article. The first is whether previous use experience of a resource (Séné nature reserve) similar to that being valuated (future nature reserves) and located in the same geographical area (Gulf of Morbihan) impacts on WTP. The second is whether accounting for the endogeneity of direct experience matters in the estimation of WTP. We find that respondents who have not experienced the Séné nature reserve provide value estimates that are statistically comparable to that of respondents who have experienced it. Our assumption is that respondents have acquired sufficient and adequate experience of future nature reserves from the questionnaire that experience obtained by experiencing the Séné nature reserve was not necessary for making a valid value formulation. Hence, aggregation of WTP estimates to obtain a total valuation of the future nature reserves is reasonable over the full target population. In addition, our results show that direct experience is endogenously determined; but controlling for the endogeneity has a marginal effect on WTP estimates.