%A Henrik Andersson
%A Mikael Svensson
%J Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
%T Scale Sensitivity and Question Order in the Contingent Valuation Method
%X This study examines the effect on respondents' willingness to pay to reduce mortality risk by the order of the questions in a stated preference study. Using answers from an experiment conducted on a Swedish sample where respondents’ cognitive ability was measured and where they participate in a contingent valuation survey it is found that scale sensitivity is the strongest when respondents are asked about a smaller risk reduction first (“Bottom-up” approach). This contradicts some previous evidence in the literature. It is also found that the respondents’ cognitive ability is more important for showing scale sensitivity when respondents are asked about a larger risk reduction first (“Top-down” approach), also reinforcing the result that a “Bottom-up” approach is more consistent with answers in line with theoretical predictions for a larger part of respondents.
%N 11
%K Cognitive ability
%K Contingent valuation
%K Mortality risk
%K Order effect
%K Scale sensitivity
%P 1746-1761
%V 57
%D 2014
%R 10.1080/09640568.2013.839442
%L publications16666