Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Protesting and Justifying: A Latent Class Model for Contingent Valuation with Attitudinal Data

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

Abstract

This article develops a latent class model for estimating willingness-to-pay (WTP) for public goods using simultaneously contingent valuation (CV) and attitudinal data to identify individuals with similar characteristics, such as WTP and protest attitudes. We find evidence that the answer to the CV question influences the responses to the attitudinal questions. In our case, this influence reflects rational behavior (budget constraint issues) and justification biases related to protest reasons, such as lack of trust in institutions or fairness issues with respect to the distribution of the burden of preservation. The results from our empirical application confirm the importance of accounting for those biases.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Au D, Crossley TF, Schellhorn M (2005) The effect of health changes and long-term health on the work activity of older Canadians. Health Econ 10: 999–1018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bateman I, Carson R, Day B, Hanemann M, Hanley N, Hett T, Jones-Lee M, Loomes G, Mourato S, Ozdemiroglu E, Pearce D, Sugden R, Swanson J (2002) Economic valuation with stated-preference techniques.. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Akiva M, Walker J, Bernardino A, Gopinath D, Morikawa T, Polydoropoulou A (2002) Integration of choice and latent variable models. In: Mahmassani H (eds) In perpetual motion: travel behaviour research opportunities and application challenges. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 431–470

    Google Scholar 

  • Bestard A, Riera Font A, Hicks R (2010) Combining discrete and continuous representations of preference heterogeneity: a latent-class approach. Environ Resour Econ 47(4): 477–493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bollen KA (1989) Structural equations with latent variables. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonnichsen O, Ladenburg J (2009) Using an ex-ante entreatry to reduce protest zero bias in stated preference surveys: a health economic case. J Choice Model 2(2): 83–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Bound J (1991) Self-reported versus objective measures of health in retirement models. J Hum Resour 26: 106–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonnichsen O, Ladenburg J (2010) Reducing status-quo bias in choice experiments: an application to a protest reduction entreatry. FOI working paper, no. 7, Institute of Food and Resource Economics, LIFE, University of Copenhagen

  • Breffle W, Morey E, Thacher J (2011) A joint latent class model: combining likert-scale preference statements with choice data to harvest preference heterogeneity. Environ Resour Econ 50: 83–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer R, Martin-Ortega J (forthcoming) Modeling self-censoring of polluter pays protest votes in stated preference research to support resource damage estimations in environmental liability. Resour Energy Econ

  • Calia P, Strazzera E (2001) A sample selection model for protest votes in contingent valuation studies. Statistica 61(3): 473–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron A, Trivedi P (2005) Microeconometrics: methods and applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Carson R, Groves T (2007) Incentive and informational properties of preference questions. Environ Resour Econ 31: 181–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carson R, Mitchell R, Hanemann M, Kopp R, Presser S, Ruud P (2003) Contingent valuation and lost passive use: damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Environ Resour Econ 25: 257–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dempster AP, Laird NM, Rubin DB (1977) Maximum likelihood from incomplete data via the EM algorithm. J R Stat Soc Ser B 39: 1–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Dziegielewska D, Mendelsohn R (2007) Does “No” means “No”? A protest methodology. Environ Resour Econ 38: 71–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gradstein M (2008) Institutional traps and economic growth. Int Econ Rev 49: 1043–1066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haab T, McConnell K (2002) Valuing environmental and natural resources. Edward Elgar, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Herriges J, Kling C, Liu C-C-C, Tobias J (2010) What are the consequences of consequentiality?. J Environ Econ Manage 59(1): 67–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsson K, Dragun A (2001) The worth of a possum: valuing species with the contingent valuation method. Environ Resour Econ 19: 211–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen B, Syme G, Bishop B (1999) Nancarrow B protest responses in contingent valuation. Environ Resour Econ 14(1): 131–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen B, Syme G (2000) Protest responses and willingness to pay: attitude toward paying for storm water pollution abatement. Ecol Econ 33(2): 251–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann D, Kraay A, Mastruzzi M (2005) Governance matters IV: governance responses to the attitudinal questions for 1996–2004. mimeo, World Bank, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Lo Y, Mendell NR, Rubin DB (2001) Testing the number of components in a normal mixture. Biometrika 88: 767–778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin-López B, Montes C, Benayas J (2007) Influence of user characteristics on valuation of ecosystem services in Donana natural protected Area (south-west Spain). Environ Conserv 34(3): 215–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan GJ, Peel D (2000) Finite mixture models. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Meyerhoff J, Liebe U (2006) Protest responses in contingent valuation: explaining their motivation. Ecol Econ 57: 583–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyerhoff J, Bartczak A, Liebe U (2009) Identifying various types of protesters in contingent valuation using latent class analysis. Working paper on Management in Environmental Planning 27/200

  • Meyerhoff J, Liebe U (2008) Do protest responses to a contingent valuation question and a choice experiment differ?. Environ Resour Econ 39: 433–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyerhoff J, Liebe U (2009) Status-quo effects in choice experiments: empirical evidence on attitudes and choice task complexity?. Land Econ 85(3): 515–528

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyerhoff J, Liebe U (2010) Determinants of protest responses in environmental valuation: a meta-study. Ecol Econ 70: 366–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell RC, Carson RT (1989) Using surveys to value public goods: the contingent valuation method. Resources for the Future, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Morey E, Thacher J, Breffle W (2006) Using angler characteristics and attitudinal data to identify environmental preference classes: a latent-class model. Environ Resour Econ 34: 91–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morey E, Thiene M, De Salvo M, Signorello G (2008) Using attitudinal data to identify latent classes that vary in their preference for landscape preservation. Ecol Econ 68: 536–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morkbak MR, Olsen S, Meyerhoff J (2010) A meta-study investigating the sources of protest behavior in stated preference surveys. Paper presented at the 4th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, Montreal, Canada

  • Polydoropoulou A, Gopinath D, Ben-Akiva M (1997) Willingness to pay for advanced traveler information system. Transp Res Record 1588: 44–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrison M, Blamey R, Bennett J (2000) Minimizing payment vehicle bias in contingent valuation studies. Environ Resour Econ 16: 407–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Provencher B, Baerenklau K, Bishop R (2002) A finite mixture logit model of recreational angling with serially correlated random utility. Am J Agric Econ 844: 1066–1075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scarpa R, Thiene M (2005) Destination choice models for rock climbing in the north-east alpes: a latent class approach based on a intensity of participation. Land Econ 81(3): 426–444

    Google Scholar 

  • Scarpa R, Beharry-Borg N (2010) Valuing quality changes in Caribbean coastal waters for heterogeneous beach visitors. Ecol Econ 69: 1124–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scarpa R, Gilbride TJ, Campbell D, Hensher DA (2009) Modelling attribute non-attendance in choice experiments for rural landscape valuation. Eur Rev Agric Econ 36(2): 151–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soderqvist T (1998) Why give up money for the Baltic Sea?. Environ Resour Econ 12: 249–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strazzera E, Genius M, Scarpa R, Hutchinson G (2003) The effect of protest votes on the estimates of WTP for use values of recreational sites. Environ Resour Econ 25: 461–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker J, Li J (2007) Latent lifestyle preferences and household location decisions. J Geograph Syst 9(1): 77–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead J, Groothuis P, Blomquist G (1993) Testing for non-response and sample selection bias in contingent valuation. Econ Lett 41: 215–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Economia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Campolide, 1099-032, Lisboa, Portugal

    Maria A. Cunha-e-Sá, Luis C. Nunes & Vladimir Otrachshenko

  2. Departamento de Economia, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Sociologia e Gestão, Vila Real, Portugal

    Lívia Madureira

Authors
  1. Maria A. Cunha-e-Sá
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lívia Madureira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luis C. Nunes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vladimir Otrachshenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria A. Cunha-e-Sá.

Additional information

We gratefully acknowledge the comments by all anonymous referees that helped to improve the paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cunha-e-Sá, M.A., Madureira, L., Nunes, L.C. et al. Protesting and Justifying: A Latent Class Model for Contingent Valuation with Attitudinal Data. Environ Resource Econ 52, 531–548 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-011-9541-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-011-9541-3

Keywords

JEL Classification

Search

Navigation