What's in a name? Identifying and accommodating labelling effects withindiscrete choice experiments

Citation

Doherty E, Campbell D, Hynes S & van Rensburg T (2011) What's in a name? Identifying and accommodating labelling effects withindiscrete choice experiments. In: International Choice Modelling Conference 2011. Second International Choice Modelling Conference, 2011, Leeds, UK, 04.07.2011-06.07.2011. http://www.icmconference.org.uk/index.php/icmc/ICMC2011/schedConf/presentations

Abstract
Discrete choice experiment data aimed at eliciting the demand for recreational walking trails on farmland in Ireland is used to explore whether some respondents reach their choices solely on the basis of the alternatives label. To investigate this type of processing strategy, the paper exploits a discrete mixtures approach which encompasses random parameters for the attributes. We find evidence that respondents employ different processing strategies for different alternatives and differences in processing emerge between rural and urban based respondents. Results highlight that model fit and policy conclusions are sensitive to assumptions related to processing strategies among respondents.