Online Choice Research Articles

Citizen preferences regarding the public funding of projects promoting a healthy body weight among people with a low income

Overweight and obesity are a growing problem, especially among people with a low income. Policymakers aspire to alleviate this problem by implementing publicly funded projects. This study has three aims: 1) to explore citizen preferences regarding the public funding of projects promoting a healthy body weight among people with a low income, 2) to identify whether such preferences differ between citizens with a low income and those with a higher income, and 3) to identify the reasons underlying these preferences. We conducted a Participatory Value Evaluation (PVE) among 1053 Dutch citizens to achieve these aims. In an online choice experiment, respondents were asked to advise on the implementation of eight different projects that encourage a healthy body weight among citizens with a low income, with a total resource constraint of 100,000 euros. The projects were 1) lifestyle coaching including sports, 2) lifestyle coaching without sports, 3) local sports coach, 4) fruit and vegetable boxes, 5) bariatric surgery, 6) improving the living environment, 7) courses on healthy lifestyles, and 8) sports vouchers. We used the “Multiple Discrete-Continuous Extreme Value” model to estimate the preferences of respondents towards these eight projects. Fruit and vegetable boxes and sports vouchers were the most popular projects, while bariatric surgery was least popular. Respondents with a low income tended to spend less of the budget than respondents with a higher income. Respondent arguments for the choices they made were qualitatively analysed using inductive content analysis. They often mentioned the value judgements ‘importance’, ‘healthiness’ and ‘usefulness’, as well as project costs and efficacy, as reasons for their decisions. Policymakers could use the results to ensure their decisions on the allocation of public funding to projects that encourage a healthy weight among people with a low income are aligned with citizen preferences.

Healthy snacks in hospitals: Testing the potential effects of changes in availability.

Hospitals offer snacks for sale to patients, staff and visitors. As food choice is heavily influenced by the options available, the present study (a) audited snack availability and purchase in NHS hospital sites across a large UK city; and (b) tested the potential effects of changes to this availability in an online choice experiment. In Study 1 (audit), single-serve snacks (n=376) available in 76 hospital food retail units were audited. Purchasing data were obtained from six food retail units over four weeks (27,989 sales). In Study 2 (online experiment), participants (n=159) chose snacks from pictured ranges containing 25% (minority), 50% (equivalent) or 75% (majority) healthy options. Available single-serve snacks varied markedly in calorie (18-641 kcals), fat (0-39 g), sugar (0.1-76 g) and salt (0-2.9 g). Only 30% of available snacks were healthy options and only 25% of the most commonly purchased snacks were healthy options. In Study 2, snack choice was significantly associated with the availability of healthy options in the choice array (X2 (2)= 59.71, p<.01). More participants made healthy choices when product ranges contained 75% healthy options compared to 50% (p<.01) and 50% healthy options compared with 25% (p<.01). Healthy snacks are readily available in NHS sites but there is a greater relative variety of unhealthy snack products. Many consumers continue to purchase unhealthy items. Further increasing the availability and variety of healthy options may support consumers to make healthier choices.

Attention and Salience in Preference Reversals

We investigate the implications of Salience Theory for the classical preference reversal phenomenon, where monetary valuations contradict risky choices. It has been stated that one factor behind reversals is that monetary valuations of lotteries are inflated when elicited in isolation, and that they should be reduced if an alternative lottery is present and draws attention. We conducted two preregistered experiments, an online choice study (N = 256) and an eye-tracking study (N = 64), in which we investigated salience and attention in preference reversals, manipulating salience through the presence or absence of an alternative lottery during evaluations. We find that the alternative lottery draws attention, and that fixations on that lottery influence the evaluation of the target lottery as predicted by Salience Theory. The effect, however, is of a modest magnitude and fails to translate into an effect on preference reversal rates in either experiment. We also use transitions (eye movements) across outcomes of different lotteries to study attention on the states of the world underlying Salience Theory, but we find no evidence that larger salience results in more transitions.

Urban consumers' choice of optimal and suboptimal products: Organic and Non-Organic Food Choices

This paper aims to investigate consumer choices among different segments of people when purchasing fresh products and it further explores how visual appeal, price, and information play a role in consumer choice. A quantitative study with an online choice experiment was carried out on a convenience sample of 90 respondents. A chi-square test for independence was used to find if the product choice is dependent upon visual appeal and price, a McNemar Test to find if an information nudge can change a consumers’ choice, finally, a linear regression analysis was performed to see how purchase decision varies between the segment groups of age, gender, education, income, and household composition. This study reveals that Sri Lankan consumer preferences for optimal products over sub-optimal products. Further, the price (discount) of fresh produce has an impact on the consumers' choice and consumers can be influenced (nudged) to make certain purchase decisions. Moreover, consumers' purchase decisions of optimal or sub-optimal products are not influenced by certain socio-demographics (gender, age, income, household composition). These findings provide an important insight into the choice of fresh produce among organic produce and offer useful suggestions in designing marketing strategies for that particular product. Further, the study also shows how nudges can be used to make consumers choose better options. This is one of the first studies done in Sri Lanka that looks at consumer choices among different segments of people when purchasing fresh produce. The study has the potential to make an impact in consumer choices in encouraging organic consumption and sets the platform to the broader subject, wastage of fresh produce.

The role of colour and summary indicators in influencing front-of-pack food label effectiveness across seven countries.

Many countries are considering the implementation of front-of-pack nutrition labels as a strategy to address high and increasing levels of overweight and obesity. A growing body of work demonstrates the superiority of labels that use colour and/or provide a summary indicator of product healthiness to enhance comprehension. However, previous studies have been confounded in determining the relative effectiveness of these two attributes by comparing labels that also differ in other ways. The present study tested labels that varied only on use of colour and/or reliance on a summary indicator across an international sample to provide unique insights into the relative importance of these attributes. Participants were randomised to see one of four variations of the Health Star Rating label that differed on the basis of use of colour and sole provision of a summary indicator. Australia, Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Adults (n 7545) in seven countries were exposed to online choice tasks requiring them to select a preferred breakfast cereal and then nominate the healthiest cereal. Overall, the coloured versions, and particularly the one with just a summary indicator, outperformed the monochrome version that included nutrient-specific information. However, there were some differences by country, with results from Canada and China indicating superior outcomes for monochrome labels and those providing nutrient-specific information. The results highlight the importance of colour, but suggest that the introduction of front-of-pack nutrition labels should be preceded by country-specific formative testing to identify potential differences in outcomes.

An online randomized trial of healthy default beverages and unhealthy beverage restrictions on children's menus.

Several U.S. jurisdictions have adopted policies requiring healthy beverage defaults on children's menus, but it is unknown whether such policies or restrictions leads to fewer calories ordered. We recruited 479 caregivers of children for an online choice experiment and instructed participants to order dinner for their youngest child (2-6years) from two restaurant menus. Participants were randomly assigned to one type of menu: 1) standard beverages on children's menus (Control; n=155); 2) healthy beverages on children's menus (water, milk, or 100% juice), with unhealthy beverages available as substitutions (Default; n=162); or 3) healthy beverages on children's menus, with no unhealthy beverage substitutions (Restriction; n=162). We used linear regression with bootstrapping to examine differences between conditions in calories ordered from beverages. Secondary outcomes included percent of participants ordering unhealthy beverages (full-calorie soda, diet soda, and/or sugar-sweetened fruit drinks) and calories from unhealthy beverages. Calories ordered from beverages did not differ across conditions at Chili's [Default: 97.6 (SD=69.8); p=0.82; Restriction: 102.7 (SD=71.5); p=0.99; Control: 99.4 (SD=72.7)] or McDonald's [Default: 90.2 (SD=89.1); p=0.55; Restriction: 89.0 (SD=81.0); p=0.94; Control: 96.5 (SD=95.2)]. There were no differences in the percent of orders or calories ordered from unhealthy beverages. Though Restriction participants ordered fewer calories from full-calorie soda [(3.0 (SD=21.6)] relative to Control participants [13.4 (SD=52.1); p=0.04)] at Chili's, we observed no such difference between Default and Control participants, or across McDonald's conditions. Overall, there was no effect of healthy default beverages or restrictions in reducing total calories ordered from unhealthy beverages for children in our experiment.

Consumer Welfare in the Digital Economy

Digital goods generate a large amount of consumer welfare but these welfare gains are not properly measured in existing macroeconomic measures. This chapter summarizes existing research on measuring consumer welfare from digital goods. Recent research suggests that massive online choice experiments could be used to measure welfare gains from digital goods in a scalable manner. These estimates can be used to construct macro-economic welfare measures such as GDP-B that better reflect the reality in the digital economy. However, digital goods need not contribute to improved subjective well-being.

Sources of Professional Support: Patterns of Teachers’ Curation of Instructional Resources in Social Media

In twenty-first-century classrooms, teachers are increasingly seeking resources and finding connection within the virtual space. Within a mass of online choice, this work tests theories related to ...

Preferences for the future of the Southport Spit: evidence from a choice experiment

ABSTRACT The Southport Spit, an undeveloped open space at the northern end of the Gold Coast beaches, has been subject to contentious development proposals. This study employs a choice experiment to elicit residents' preferences for the future of the Spit in terms of development focus, maximum permitted height of development and extent of developed space. From an online choice experiment survey, we estimate a latent class model that reveals two strongly opposing viewpoints and a third, more nuanced, viewpoint. A pro-conservation segment opposes development of either a cruise ship terminal or casino, prefers low-rise development and opposes any increase in the extent of developed space. In contrast, a pro-development segment favours building a cruise ship terminal, a casino, or both a cruise ship terminal and a casino, prefers medium-rise development and has no clear preferences for how much of the available footprint should be developed. This study contributes to the small body of literature employing choice experiments to elicit the land-use preferences of urban communities; findings may help to explain why, to date, so little progress has been made towards reaching consensus on the future of the Spit.

Recreational boaters’ preferences for boating trips associated with offshore wind farms in US waters

This study used a stated preference approach to assess potential impacts of offshore wind farms on recreational boaters in and around Rhode Island (US) waters. To develop the stated preference survey, seven focus groups were conducted with recreational boaters in Rhode Island (RI) in 2017. A combined mail and on-line choice experiment survey was administered in the spring and summer 2018 to 2500 owners of US Coast Guard-documented recreational vessels with a hailing port in Rhode Island. The survey instrument elicited recreational boaters’ preferences for particular attributes of a recreational boating trip (location, proximity to a wind farm, amount of nearby boating activity, main activity during trip, trip costs). Data were analyzed using the mixed logit model to understand how changes in individual attributes affect the acceptability of a boating trip. Findings indicate that the value of a recreational boating experience is considerably reduced in areas with offshore wind farms. Findings from this study provide valuable insights into the potential impacts of the growing offshore wind industry on one group of marine resource users and potential management strategies for addressing these impacts in the US.

Mitigating hypothetical bias by defaulting to opt-out in an online choice

ABSTRACT Hypothetical Bias (HB) is an ongoing concern for welfare estimates generated from stated preference approaches. Employing a default option has been shown to affect decision-making and outcomes in a variety of settings. We implement a split-sample design to study the effect of setting the opt-out alternative as a default choice in a Choice Experiment. Our results show that making the opt-out a default significantly decreases the willingness to pay for attributes, indicative of the presence and mitigation of potential HB. Defaulting to the opt-out alternative also causes considerable shifts in the rank of value among the attributes. This study is conducted in the context of proactive protection against bed bugs, an understudied but vexing issue to resource and recreation management as well as to the broader hospitality industry.

Consumer Preferences for Sustainable Product Attributes and Farm Program Features

Previous literature primarily focused on consumers’ preference for specific sustainable attributes, such as a product being organic, eco-friendly, locally grown, and fair trade. Little is known about consumers’ preference for sustainable program features. We conduct two online choice experiments with U.S. consumers and find that consumers consistently care about farmers’ engagements in sustainable programs, and they are willing to pay a price premium for products from such programs. Consumers also value promoting science in sustainability, establishing concrete measurements of sustainability, and communicating sustainable practices with consumers and downstream industries. We apply the latent class logit model to investigate the potential segmentation of consumers. Three consumer segments are identified based on participants’ heterogeneity in preferences. Our research provides useful information for designing new sustainability programs.

Quantifying the effect of market information on demand for genetically modified salmon

We investigate how production process labels and information about potential positive and/or negative aspects of GM technology affects demand for novel seafood products. We collected data during an online choice experiment distributed among 1,043 United States seafood consumers. Our results indicate participants not provided with GM information are willing to pay a premium for Verified Non-GM and Organic fillets, but require a discount for Fed-GM and GM fillets. Positive information reduces willingness to pay (WTP) for Organic, Non-GM and GM fillets, while negative information significantly increases WTP for Organic fillets and reduces WTP for GM fillets. Balanced information reduces WTP for Organic and Verified Non-GM salmon, similar in magnitude to positive information, and reduces WTP for GM-Fed and GM salmon, similar in magnitude to negative information. We provide some recommendations and discussion on how producers and food sellers might encourage effective communication between themselves and consumers based on our findings and the broader literature.

Why do hospital prescribers continue antibiotics when it is safe to stop? Results of a choice experiment survey

BackgroundDeciding whether to discontinue antibiotics at early review is a cornerstone of hospital antimicrobial stewardship practice worldwide. In England, this approach is described in government guidance (‘Start Smart then Focus’). However, < 10% of hospital antibiotic prescriptions are discontinued at review, despite evidence that 20–30% could be discontinued safely. We aimed to quantify the relative importance of factors influencing prescriber decision-making at review.MethodsWe conducted an online choice experiment, a survey method to elicit preferences. Acute/general hospital prescribers in England were asked if they would continue or discontinue antibiotic treatment in 15 hypothetical scenarios. Scenarios were described according to six attributes, including patients’ presenting symptoms and whether discontinuation would conflict with local prescribing guidelines. Respondents’ choices were analysed using conditional logistic regression.ResultsOne hundred respondents completed the survey. Respondents were more likely to continue antibiotics when discontinuation would ‘strongly conflict’ with local guidelines (average marginal effect (AME) on the probability of continuing + 0.194 (p < 0.001)), when presenting symptoms more clearly indicated antibiotics (AME of urinary tract infection symptoms + 0.173 (p < 0.001) versus unclear symptoms) and when patients had severe frailty/comorbidities (AME = + 0.101 (p < 0.001)). Respondents were less likely to continue antibiotics when under no external pressure to continue (AME = − 0.101 (p < 0.001)). Decisions were also influenced by the risks to patient health of continuing/discontinuing antibiotic treatment.ConclusionsGuidelines that conflict with antibiotic discontinuation (e.g. pre-specify fixed durations) may discourage safe discontinuation at review. In contrast, guidelines conditional on patient factors/treatment response could help hospital prescribers discontinue antibiotics if diagnostic information suggesting they are no longer needed is available.

Effects of Default Option and Lateral Presentation on Consumer Choice of the Sustainable Option in an Online Choice Task

In order to reduce the environmental impact of products, sustainability must be improved in many industries. One way to accomplish this aim is to influence consumers by means of nudging in order to choose more sustainable products in online choices. We investigated whether the lateral presentation of products from left to right or from right to left, along with using a status quo default option, influence sustainable choices of make-up products. A pilot study has been conducted in order to obtain background information on make-up choices. Next, an online, quantitative experiment has been conducted in which 330 women together made 1094 hypothetical make-up product choices. Making the sustainable option the default resulted in more sustainable choices than making unsustainable products the default. The left–right versus right–left presentation of products did not significantly influence consumer choices. Furthermore, higher educated people and those finding sustainability important relatively often chose a sustainable make-up product. People frequently wearing make-up and those finding a low price important relatively often chose an unsustainable make-up product. Our experiment suggests that making sustainable products the default choice makes a sustainable choice about 8% more likely than making unsustainable products the default choice.

Risk interdependency, social norms, and wildfire mitigation: a choice experiment

Wildfire presents a growing threat across the American West. We conducted an online choice experiment in Western Colorado to assess how social interactions affect wildfire mitigation decisions through two distinct pathways: risk interdependency (neighbors’ conditions affect perceived wildfire risk) and social norms (neighbors’ actions affect perceptions of appropriate mitigation choices). In contrast to key observational studies, we find that participants are less likely to choose to mitigate when they have more neighbors with sparse vegetation. This effect operates through the risk interdependency pathway: sparse vegetation on neighboring properties lowers participants’ wildfire risk perceptions and appears to be viewed as a substitute for one’s own mitigation actions. In this context, where neighbors are nameless and faceless, social norms do not counteract this negative effect. To reconcile this experimental result with observational studies, we discuss how both risk interdependency and social norms are influenced by geographical and social contexts and highlight how these insights can inform future research and policy action.

College-Age Millennials' Preferences for Food Supplied by Urban Agriculture

Millennials are the largest generation, yet. As a result, their preferences are critical when it comes to evaluating success of urban agriculture. Using two online choice experiments, this paper investigates the preferences and willingness to pay of college student millennials for unprocessed (fresh) or processed (typically come in a container) food products sold at urban farms. We also examine whether competing points of sale and other attributes, such as organic, affect preferences and willingness to pay for urban farm food. We find that, on average, college-age millennials are willing to pay a premium for local food. However, they are not willing to pay premiums for local food that is sold at farmers markets, and discount it when it is purchased directly from an urban farm. Our findings suggest that, if the goal is to increase the sales of urban farm food, targeted promotions are needed. Urban farms have to show the value from purchasing products through their channels to college-age millennials or seek the means to supply their food through grocery stores.

The Modernization of European Consumer Law (Continued): More Meat on the Bone After All

This article discusses to what extent the final text of the Modernization Directive ultimately delivers on the promises of the Communication ‘A New Deal for Consumers’ regarding the modernization and better enforcement of European consumer protection rules. In particular, I will discuss the provisions regarding individual and public enforcement of EU consumer law and go into the matter of dynamic pricing and online choice architecture. Specific attention is paid to online market places: which information duties apply and with whom does the consumer conclude a contract? The directive also introduces additional rules regarding the consumer’s right of withdrawal, and some simplifications for the position of the trader. I conclude that the Modernization Directive indeed does deliver on the New Deal’s promises, albeit that a further modernization of EU consumer law is still needed to keep it fit for the 2020s.

Consumer preference for wine from hand-harvested grapes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate preferences for wine made from hand-harvested grapes, and the interactive effect between this attribute and organic certification.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via an online choice experiment involving a sample of 408 Italian wine consumers. A random parameter logit was performed to estimate consumer preferences for wine attributes: harvest type, organic and the interaction between these. The experiment also includes geographical indications and price. Furthermore, a latent class model (LCM) is performed to investigate taste heterogeneity for the included wine attributes.FindingsOn average, consumers prefer the wine produced with hand-harvested grapes. The hypothesis of an interaction between organic and hand-harvested attributes is rejected. Using the LCM, the authors identify three segments with significant taste heterogeneity in terms of the magnitude and the sign of the parameters. Moreover, consumer attitudes towards food naturalness differ according to their belonging to the segments.Originality/valueThe novelty of this article is twofold. First, this study investigates, for the first time, the impact of the hand-harvested method on consumer wine preferences. Second, hand-harvesting and organic have independent values.

Social preferences for distributive outcomes of climate policy

This study examines whether people exhibit social preferences for the distributive outcomes of climate policy when making actual donations towards such policies. In an online choice experiment, using a real donation mechanism, a sample of 95 members of the Danish public are provided 27 € and asked to make 16 donation choices among different climate policy options. The climate policies are described in terms of two main outcome variables: future effects on income in 2100 and present-time provision of co-benefits from climate policy. Both outcomes are described for three specific regions of the world, Western Europe, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. For each participant, one policy choice is drawn at random to be realized. The total amount donated by participants is used to purchase and withdraw CO2 quotas and credits in the European Emission Trading Scheme and as donations to the UN Adaptation Fund. The results indicate that distributional outcomes matter for people when they donate to climate policy and that elements of both inequity aversion and general altruism influence the choice of climate policy. The findings contribute towards an empirical foundation for the use of equity weights in determining the social cost of carbon, with the implication that the price on greenhouse gas emissions should be higher due to the concern for distributional impacts.