Subject pool effects among the general population and students: a choice experiment example |
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| Authors: | James W Mjelde Alicia A Israel Schwarzlose Rebekka M Dudensing Yanhong Jin Linda K Cherrington Junyi Chen |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&2. M University, College Station, TX, USA;3. Texas Association of School Boards, Risk Management Services, Austin, TX, USA;4. Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas AgriLife Extension, College Station, TX, USA;5. Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA;6. Texas A&7. M Transportation Institute, Texas A&8. M University System, College Station, TX, USA |
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| Abstract: | Rising costs of conducting research coupled with limited budgets are forcing researchers to use samples of convenience. Students represent one such sample, but are students an appropriate population? The objective is to ascertain how students’ willingness to pay (WTP) differs from the general public’s WTP. Students and county residents are surveyed. Results suggest the study’s goal may determine if student responses are generalizable to the general population. The samples are similar in many characteristics, but WTP amounts vary. The student samples show some inconsistencies. If the goal is general behavioural inferences, the results provide support for the use of students. If the goal is to estimate specific WTPs for use in policy analysis, the use of students may not be advisable. |
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| Keywords: | Subject pool effects students general population choice modelling |
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