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Progress of and Prospects for Hypothetical Purchase Task Questionnaires in Consumer Behavior Analysis and Public Policy

  • BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
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Abstract

Based on the conceptual, methodological, and analytical framework of operant behavioral economics, hypothetical purchase task (HPT) questionnaires provide a low cost, scalable, and quantitatively rich source of empirical insights on consumer motivation, preferences, and decision-making. Here, we briefly summarize the history of HPT development and validation in clinically oriented research in addiction through to recent work with more conventional consumer goods and services. We discuss several possible novel applications of HPT methods to consumer behavior analysis for business, marketing, and public policy formulation and evaluation, as well as emerging best practices, limitations, and additional directions for future research and development.

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Acknowledgements

PGR and SRH’s contributions to this work were supported by intramural funds from the Institutes for Behavior Resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Peter G. Roma & Steven R. Hursh

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Peter G. Roma & Steven R. Hursh

  3. Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Derek D. Reed & Florence D. DiGennaro Reed

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  1. Peter G. Roma
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Roma, P.G., Reed, D.D., DiGennaro Reed, F.D. et al. Progress of and Prospects for Hypothetical Purchase Task Questionnaires in Consumer Behavior Analysis and Public Policy. BEHAV ANALYST 40, 329–342 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-017-0100-2

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