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WTP or WTA: A Means of Determining the Appropriate Welfare Measure of Positive and Negative Changes When Preferences are Reference Dependent

Author

Listed:
  • Kiet T. Nguyen

    (Can Tho University)

  • Jack L. Knetsch

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Phumsith Mahasuweerachai

    (Khon Kaen University)

Abstract

Many positive and negative changes are valued by people relative to a neutral reference state, which may, or often may not, be the status quo. Positive changes can then be either gains and the monetary value of the increase in welfare best assessed with the WTP measure, or reductions of losses, and like losses, the change in welfare more accurately assessed with the WTA measure. A means to discriminate between gains and reductions of losses is presented here, along with the results of tests of its efficacy, and a demonstration of its application to VSL estimates–with findings suggesting likely widespread biases of present practice of using WTP to assess the value of essentially all changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kiet T. Nguyen & Jack L. Knetsch & Phumsith Mahasuweerachai, 2021. "WTP or WTA: A Means of Determining the Appropriate Welfare Measure of Positive and Negative Changes When Preferences are Reference Dependent," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(4), pages 615-633, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:78:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s10640-021-00546-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-021-00546-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Brown, Zachary Steven, 2022. "Distributional policy impacts, WTP-WTA disparities, and the Kaldor-Hicks tests in benefit-cost analysis," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Sirikarn Phuchada & Phumsith Mahasuweerachai, 2022. "The Higher the Goal, the More You Eat: Reference Dependence In an “ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT†Restaurant," PIER Discussion Papers 185, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    3. Hanying Zhang & Jiafen Li & Jinlong Shen & Jianfeng Song, 2022. "Measurement of Supply-and Demand-Side Endowment Effects and Analysis of Their Influencing Factors in Agricultural Land Transfer," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-21, November.
    4. Bass, Daniel A. & McFadden, Brandon R. & Messer, Kent D., 2021. "A case for measuring negative willingness to pay for consumer goods," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Welfare measures; Reference dependence; Willingness-to-pay; Willingness-to-accept; Endowment effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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