Skip to main content
Log in

Interviewer Effects on the Valuation of Goods with Ethical and Environmental Attributes

  • Published:
Environmental and Resource Economics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of interviewer effects on willingness to pay (WTP) estimates. Face-to-face surveys were conducted with two interviewers. Both interviewers used a transcript and conducted the survey at the same location and at the same time. We found that responses to the WTP questions differ across eco-labeled products and by interviewer. This interviewer effect is particularly relevant when we analyze the impact on WTP estimates for eco-labeled products grown in countries associated with the origin of one of the interviewers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • K. Arrow J. Solow P. Portney E. Leamer R. Radner E. Howard Schuman (1993) ArticleTitle‘Report of the NOAA Panel on Contingent Valuation’ Federal Register 58 IssueID10 4601–4614

    Google Scholar 

  • I. T. Ajzen C. Brown L. Rosenthal (1996) ArticleTitle‘Information Bias in Contingent Valuation: Effects of Personal Relevance. Quality Information and Motivational Orientation’ Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 30 43–57

    Google Scholar 

  • C. K. Atkin S. H. Chafee (1972) ArticleTitle‘Instrumental Response Strategies in Opinion Surveys’ Public Opinion Quarterly 36 IssueID1 69–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Bateman, I. J. and J. Mawby (forthcoming), ‘First Impressions Count: Interviewer Appearance and Information Effects in Stated Preference Studies’, Ecological Economics.

  • M. Ben-Akiva S. R. Lerman (2000) Discrete Choice Analysis: Theory and Applications to Travel Demand EditionNumber8 The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts

    Google Scholar 

  • R. P. Berrens (2000) ArticleTitle‘Reluctant Responses and Contingent Valuation Surveys’ Applied Economics Letters 7 IssueID4 263–266

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Berrens A. Bohara J. Kerkliet (1997) ArticleTitle‘A Randomized Response Approach to Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation’ American Journal of Agricultural Economics 79 IssueID1 252–266

    Google Scholar 

  • A. E. Boardman D. H. Greenberg A. R. Vining D. L. Weimer (2000) Cost–Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice EditionNumber2 Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • J. R. Blend E. O. Ravenswaay ParticleVan (1999) ArticleTitle‘Consumer Demand for Eco-labeled Apples: Results from Econometric Estimation’ American Journal of Agricultural Economics 81 1072–1077

    Google Scholar 

  • T. A. Cameron (1988) ArticleTitle‘A New Paradigm for Valuing Non-market Goods Using Referendum Data: Maximum Likelihood Estimation by Censored Logistic Regression’ Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 15 355–379

    Google Scholar 

  • T. A. Cameron (1991) ArticleTitle‘Interval Estimates of Non-Market Resource Values from Referendum Contingent Valuation Surveys’ Land Economics 67 IssueID4 413–421

    Google Scholar 

  • T. A. Cameron D. D. Huppert (1989) ArticleTitle‘OLS Versus ML Estimation of Non-market Resource Values with Payment Card Interval Data’ Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 17 230–246

    Google Scholar 

  • B. A. Campbell (1981) ArticleTitle‘Race-of-interviewer Effect Among Southern Adolescence’ Public Opinion Quarterly 45 IssueID2 231–244

    Google Scholar 

  • P. R. Cotter J. Cohen P. B. Coulter (1982) ArticleTitle‘Race-of-interviewer Effects in Telephone Interviews’ Public Opinion Quarterly 46 IssueID2 278–284

    Google Scholar 

  • M. G. Dalecki J. C. Whitehead G. C. Blomquist (1993) ArticleTitle‘Sample Non-response Bias and Aggregate Benefits in Contingent Valuation: An Examination of Early. Late and Non-respondents’ Journal of Environmental Management 38 133–143

    Google Scholar 

  • D. W. Davis (1997) ArticleTitle‘Nonrandom Measurement Error and Race of Interviewer Effects Among African Americans’ Public Opinion Quarterly 61 IssueID1 183–207

    Google Scholar 

  • W. H. Desvousges S. P. Hudson M. C. Ruby (1996) ‘Evaluating CV Performance, Separating the Light from the Heat’ D. J. Bjornstad J. R. Khan (Eds) The Contingent Valuation of Environmental Resources Oak Ridge National Laboratory US, Edward Elgar

    Google Scholar 

  • S. F. Edwards G. D. Anderson (1987) ArticleTitle‘Overlooked Biases in Contingent Valuation Surveys: Some Considerations’ Land Economics 63 IssueID2 16–178

    Google Scholar 

  • R. G. Ethier G. L. Poe W. D. Schulze J. Clark (2000) ArticleTitle‘A Comparison of Hypothetical Phone and Mail Contingent Valuation Responses for Green-pricing Electricity Programs’ Land Economics 76 IssueID1 54–67

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Ferber H. G. Wales (1952) ArticleTitle‘Detection and Correction of Interviewer Bias’ Public Opinion Quarterly 16 IssueID1 107–127

    Google Scholar 

  • B. Goldar S. Misra (2001) ArticleTitle‘Valuation of Environmental Goods, Correction for Bias in Contingent Valuation Studies Based on Willingness-To-Accept’ American Journal of Agricultural Economics 83 IssueID1 150–156

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Hatchett H. Schuman (1975) ArticleTitle‘White Respondents and Race-of-Interviewer Effects’ Public Opinion Quarterly 39 IssueID4 523–528

    Google Scholar 

  • E. W. Kane L. J. Macaulay (1993) ArticleTitle‘Interviewer Gender and Gender Attitudes’ Public Opinion Quarterly 57 IssueID1 1–28

    Google Scholar 

  • N. S. Kleckner C. G. Leggett K. J. Boyle J. Duffield R. Cameron Mitchell (2003) ArticleTitle‘Evidence of Social Desirability Bias in Contingent Valuation Survey Administered Through In-Person Interviews’ Land Economics 79 IssueID4 561–575

    Google Scholar 

  • List, J. A., R. P. Barrens, A. Bohara and J. Kerkvliet (forthcoming), “Examining the Role of Social Isolation on Stated Preferences’, American Economic Review.

  • J. Loomis M. Kling (1994) ArticleTitle‘Comparison of Mail and Telephone-Mail Contingent Valuation Surveys’ Journal of Environmental Management 4 309–324

    Google Scholar 

  • M. L. Messonnier J. C. Bergstrom C. M. Cronwell R. J. Teasley H. Ken Cordell (2000) ArticleTitle‘Survey Response-Related Biases in Contingent Valuation: Concepts. Remedies. and Empirical Application to Valuing Aquatic Plant Management’ American Journal of Agricultural Economics 82 IssueID2 438–450

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Schulze G. McClelland D. Waldman J. Lazo (1996) ‘Sources of Bias in Contingent Valuation’ D. J. Bjornstad J. R. Kahn (Eds) The Contingent Valuation of Environmental Resources Oak Ridge National Laboratory US, Edward Elgar

    Google Scholar 

  • E.H. Schumann (1996) NoChapterTitle D. Bjornstad J. Kahn (Eds) The Contingent Valuation of Environmental Resources Oak Ridge National Laboratory US

    Google Scholar 

  • S Warner (1965) ArticleTitle‘Randomized Response: A Survey Technique for Eliminating Evasive Answer Bias’ Journal of the American Statistics Association 60 63–69

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Whittaker J. J. Vaske M. P. Donnelly D. S. DeRuiter (1998) ArticleTitle‘Mail versus Telephone Surveys: Potential Biases in Expenditure and Willingness-to-Pay Data’ Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 16 IssueID3 15–30

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

JEL classification: Q26, H40

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Loureiro, M.L., Lotade, J. Interviewer Effects on the Valuation of Goods with Ethical and Environmental Attributes. Environ Resource Econ 30, 49–72 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-004-1149-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-004-1149-4

Keywords

Navigation