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Did people "buy" what was "sold"? A qualitative evaluation a Contingent Valuation survey information set for gains in life expectancy

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel Baker

    (Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, Glasgow Caledonian University)

  • Anna Bartczak

    (Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw)

  • Susan Chilton

    (Newcastle University Business School)

  • Hugh Metcalf

    (Newcastle University Business School)

Abstract

A number of stated preferences studies have quantified the value of gains in life expectancy from pollution control and use a Value of a Life Year (VOLY) approach to calculate the value placed on avoiding premature mortality following exposure to such pollution. However, life expectancy gains are a complex concept and no attempt has been made, to date, to investigate peoples’ understanding of what it is they are being asked to value. This paper uses a structured debriefing exercise to qualitatively investigate an approach which explicitly emphasises how this gain is delivered. We find that, for the majority of respondents, the approach is effective in communicating the ongoing nature of the gain and reduces the use of the (incorrect) heuristic that it is an ‘add-on’ at the end of life, in poor health. Further refinements are required, however, to communicate the cumulative nature of these risk reductions and the lack of impact on quality of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Baker & Anna Bartczak & Susan Chilton & Hugh Metcalf, 2012. "Did people "buy" what was "sold"? A qualitative evaluation a Contingent Valuation survey information set for gains in life expectancy," Working Papers 2012-16, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    • Handle: RePEc:war:wpaper:2012-16
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    File URL: http://www.wne.uw.edu.pl/inf/wyd/WP/WNE_WP82.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Rong Liu & Xiaojun Liu & Bingbing Pan & Hui Zhu & Zhaokang Yuan & Yuanan Lu, 2018. "Willingness to Pay for Improved Air Quality and Influencing Factors among Manufacturing Workers in Nanchang, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-11, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    air pollution reduction; contingent valuation; gain in life expectancy; information set and provision; qualitative debriefing survey; quality of life; Value of a Life Year (VOLY);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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