Premium
Environmental Interest Group Behavior and Self‐Selection Bias in Contingent Valuation Mail Surveys
Author(s) -
WHITEHEAD JOHN C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
growth and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.657
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1468-2257
pISSN - 0017-4815
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2257.1991.tb00538.x
Subject(s) - contingent valuation , selection bias , sample (material) , sampling bias , valuation (finance) , response bias , population , selection (genetic algorithm) , economics , econometrics , actuarial science , statistics , willingness to pay , social psychology , psychology , sample size determination , demography , computer science , microeconomics , mathematics , accounting , chemistry , chromatography , artificial intelligence , sociology
This paper analyzes the behavior of a general sample and an environmental interest group sample in a contingent market for wetlands preservation. Mail survey response rates and environmental values for wetlands preservation are significantly greater in the environmental interest group sample than in the general population sample. An estimate of the potential self‐selection bias in the benefits of wetlands preservation is made. These results suggest that self‐selection bias in contingent valuation mail surveys could upwardly bias aggregate benefit estimates as much as 50 percent. Potential, but costly, solutions to the problem of self‐selection bias are suggested.