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Mesurer les préférences du consommateur pour orienter les décisions des pouvoirs publics : l'apport de la méthode expérimentale

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  • Stéphane Robin

    (GATE - Groupe d'analyse et de théorie économique - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - ENS LSH - Ecole Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Anne Rozan

    (UMR GSP - Gestion des services publics - ENGEES - École Nationale du Génie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg - CEMAGREF - Centre national du machinisme agricole, du génie rural, des eaux et forêts)

  • Bernard Ruffieux

    (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée = Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory - UPMF - Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique)

Abstract

Individual preferences must be evaluated to take into account the citizens' interests for public decisions. Usually, economists assess individual preferences through market decisions. But more often, public decisions impact goods without market prices. Without a market to refer to, evaluating the consequences of a public decision on individual welfare is a challenging methodological problem. In spite of major improvements, preference studies built on hypothetical questions (survey or contingent hypothetical valuations) are biased. Experimental economics is a promising alternative to obtain directly individual valuation for a choice, a scenario or a nonmarket good. Preference study in the lab based on the experimental method is a growing field. This paper aims to present this approach. Precisely, this paper answers the following questions: Why is it interesting to use the experimental method to elicit individual preferences? And how to conduct this category of experiments?

Suggested Citation

  • Stéphane Robin & Anne Rozan & Bernard Ruffieux, 2007. "Mesurer les préférences du consommateur pour orienter les décisions des pouvoirs publics : l'apport de la méthode expérimentale," Post-Print hal-00196310, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00196310
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00196310
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public decision; experimental economics; preference elicitation; décision publique; économie expérimentale; évaluation de préférences individuelles;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B4 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology
    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior

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