Attribute non-attendance in discrete choice experiments: A case study in a developing country

Abstract

In a discrete choice experiment (DCE), some respondents might not attend to all presented attributes when evaluating and choosing their preferred options. Utilizing data from a DCE survey in Vietnam, this paper contributes to the literature on attribute non-attendance (ANA) with an investigation of the ANA in a developing country context. Based on a review of relevant published ANA studies, we find that the extent of ANA reported by respondents in our Vietnam case study could be potentially more serious than in developed country studies. Our econometric analysis, based on a mixed logit model, shows that respondents who ignored the attributes have different preferences from respondents who attended to the attributes. An examination of ANA determinants using a multivariate probit model was undertaken to gain a better understanding of reasons for the differences in the preferences of two groups of respondents. Our results confirm that the stated ANA could be an example of a simplifying strategy of respondents, and that respondents ignored attributes which were not relevant to their situation.