EFFECTS OF TOTAL-COST AND GROUP-SIZE INFORMATION ON WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY RESPONSES - OPEN-ENDED VS DICHOTOMOUS CHOICE

This contingent Valuation (CV) study investigates the potential of cos t-influenced re sponses in open-ended (OE) and dichotomous choice (DC) formats. For both formats we cross split-sample information treatment s to provide: a total cost of the project treatment, a group-size trea tment, a combined treatment, and the baseline control group. Investiga tions are undertaken using a CV survey for a particular environmental good (the ''field''), and in an induced value experimental laboratory setting with real payoffs and a context-free, publicly provided good ( the ''lab''). Results show that DC values are not affected by cost and /or group-size information while the OE Values are (negatively) affect ed. (C) 1998 Academic Press.