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Contingent Valuation Study

Last registered on August 16, 2018

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Contingent Valuation Study
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0002253
Initial registration date
June 06, 2017

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
June 07, 2017, 11:34 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
August 16, 2018, 4:18 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Chicago

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of Chicago
PI Affiliation
Harvard University
PI Affiliation
University of California, Berkeley
PI Affiliation
University of California, Berkeley

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2017-06-06
End date
2017-06-20
Secondary IDs
Abstract
In the prototypical contingent valuation survey, respondents are tasked with voting for or against a government program that improves an environmental amenity (Arrow et al., 1993). Researchers then vary the size of the one-time tax funding the program and use the resulting vote shares to trace out demand for the environmental amenity. In this study we start by reviewing the theoretical underpinnings of this exercise and the challenges advanced by critics. We then propose a new model of respondent behavior that incorporates concerns for the environmental amenity and social image. Through the lens of this model, earlier work challenging the contingent valuation methodology is explained and demand for the environmental amenity is still recoverable. We then adapt the contingent valuation survey commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate the value of damages caused by the 3.2 million barrels of oil released into the Gulf of Mexico by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010 using our model.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Brandon, Alec et al. 2018. "Contingent Valuation Study." AEA RCT Registry. August 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2253-2.0
Former Citation
Brandon, Alec et al. 2018. "Contingent Valuation Study." AEA RCT Registry. August 16. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2253/history/33098
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2017-06-06
Intervention End Date
2017-06-20

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Casting a vote for or against the prevention program described in the survey
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We elicit responses to the BP Oil Spill contingent valuation survey on Amazon's Mechanical Turk. We experimentally vary the price of the prevention program (high or low tax), the framing of the vote (consequential or hypothetical), a time off incentive (time off to vote for the program, neutral, or time off to vote agains the program), and the scope of the environmental damages. Additionally we will experimentally vary whether respondents are offered the opportunity to complete 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, or 10 minutes of additional questions for 10, 15, or 20 cents.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done by Qualtrics
Randomization Unit
Respondent
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
10,000 respondents
Sample size: planned number of observations
10,000 respondents
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
416 subjects across the 24 main treatment arms
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Chicago, Social Sciences IRB
IRB Approval Date
2017-02-23
IRB Approval Number
IRB16-0217

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials