Public Preferences Research Articles

Can criminology sway the public? How empirical findings about deterrence affect public punishment preferences

Background settingPunitive approaches to deter offending remain popular despite limited evidence of their effectiveness. This study investigated what effect presenting empirical criminological findings about the effectiveness of deterrence to a general public has on their punishment preferences. It builds on earlier research showing that such presentation reduces the public’s inclination towards strict punishment. The present study extended this research by exploring whether the impact of scientific evidence on public punishment preferences is affected by crime severity and by exploring cognitive and psychological factors that may underpin this relationship.MethodsUsing a vignette study paradigm, a general public sample of 330 participants were asked to make hypothetical punishment decisions to reduce crime (whether or not to double sentences) for one of three crime types that varied in severity. For each crime type, half of participants were additionally provided with a summary of research on the deterrent effect of punitive policy measures.ResultsPresenting scientific evidence reduced participants' preferences for stronger punishment and that this effect remained consistent regardless of crime severity—ranging from burglary to homicide. In addition, we did not find evidence that difference in individuals’ cognitive style, negative emotional reactions, perceptions about seriousness, or beliefs about redeemability moderated or mediated this relationship.ConclusionsThis study provides compelling findings that further clarify the circumstances required for scientific evidence to be successfully disseminated to a general public to bring their punishment preferences more in line with the state of empirical science.

Care risks: how concerns about looking after older family members increase support for government spending on the retired

ABSTRACT In an era of increased intergenerational inequality, why do working-age adults continue to support government spending on the retired? Previous explanations for the popularity of such programs include calculations of expected reciprocity and evaluations of deservingness. We introduce an additional consideration: perceived vulnerability to ‘care risks’. That is, the fear of having to provide substantial financial or practical assistance to a close older family member. We argue this leads voters to insure themselves by supporting government assistance to the old as a substitute. Combining novel evidence from a specially-commissioned national survey and survey experiment conducted in Great Britain, we show that prime working-age adults’ (aged 18–59) concerns about having to personally provide for older relatives helps explain their enthusiasm for greater state investment in the retired. Familial concerns are an understudied constraint on age-based political polarisation. Our study provides important insights into how elderly-oriented public policy proposals might be justified to younger voters, and how family ties and expectations can explain public spending preferences in other generations.

The (In)Stability of Punishment Preferences: Implications for Empirical Desert

Abstract Are public preferences for the type or amount of punishment stable? Instability over short periods would complicate empirical desert by undercutting the value of public preferences as policy guides. Using longitudinal, cross-national survey data from Central Europe, we examined within-person stability in punishment preferences along several dimensions: type, amount, and rank order. Individual-level instability was common; respondents frequently changed their punishment preferences across waves. In the aggregate, public opinion was more stable. Our findings support the ‘qualified public input’ model of policy making—aggregate preferences should provide loose guidance for policymakers, with individual-level instability suggesting the ‘latitude of acceptance’ or ‘zone of acquiescence’. Better-educated respondents exhibited more preference stability, thus greater weight should be given to informed public opinion.

Public Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Social Health Insurance in Iran: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Background: Current health insurance programs in Iran suffer from low enrolment and are not sufficient to attain the country to universal health coverage (UHC). The study hypothesized that improving the enrollment rate and moving towards more sustainable UHC can be achieved by improving the benefit package and providing new incentives. The objective of this study is to assess public preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for social health insurance (SHI) in Iran. Methods: A discrete choice experiment (DCE) was conducted in 2022, using a self-administered questionnaire on 500 participants to estimate WTP and determine individual’s preferences for the SHI plan. Respondents were presented with an eight choice set, and asked to select their preferred one. In each choice set, scenarios were described by eight attributes with varying levels. The conditional logit regression model was used to analyze the participants preferences. WTP for each attribute was also calculated by STATA13. Results: Most of the included attributes were significant predictors of health insurance package selection. The maximum coverage of hospitalization costs in the private sector, ancillary services such as glasses, canes etc., as well as coverage for hospitalization costs in the public sector and drug costs, were the most important determining factors for this choice. Coverage of preventive dental care did not significantly affect respondent choices. Estimating WTP showed that individuals are willing to pay more for higher financial protection, particularly against private sector costs; the WTP to increase the coverage of hospitalization costs in the private sector from 50% to 90% is estimated at 362,068 IR, Rials per month. Conclusion: This study identifies the key factors that the population value with regard to health insurance and the tradeoffs they are willing to make between them. Hospitalization, drugs and ancillary services were the most important determining factors for their choice. The data suggests that additional resources coming into the Iranian health system might best be prioritized to covering hospitalization and drug costs and those associated with ancillary services.

How is the concept of charisma used in the academic literature about biodiversity conservation? A systematic map protocol

BackgroundThe extinction of species is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by the complex interplay between biological and socio-cultural factors. Public and academic preferences for different species often play a direct or indirect role in influencing the conservation outlook of these species. The “charisma” of species and other components of biodiversity is often mentioned as an important factor in shaping human preferences, determining both the scope of scientific studies and justifications for such scope. Here, we present a protocol for systematically mapping the use of the concept of “charisma” in relation to biodiversity peer-reviewed academic literature focused on biodiversity conservation.MethodsThe search targeting academic peer-reviewed research articles and reviews will be conducted in three publication databases, The Lens, Scopus and Web of Science (Core Collection and SciELO), and will be supplemented by search engine results from Google Scholar. Broad-scope searches will be performed in 3 different languages (English, Portuguese, and Spanish) and article screening will be performed at two stages to ensure the relevance of each entry and consistency amongst reviewers in their use of the defined inclusion criteria. The resulting systematic map of the literature will be summarised by employing a narrative synthesis approach, and through descriptive statistics and analysis of temporal trends.

Bureaucratic prioritizing among clients in the eyes of the public: Experimental evidence from three countries

AbstractIn response to workloads and service demands, frontline workers often prioritize among their clients when delivering public services. This article examines the implications of such bureaucratic prioritization on democratic governance, specifically the public's attitudes toward how frontline workers prioritize among clients. Using data from a pre‐registered, rank‐based conjoint survey experiment conducted among residents (n = 2655) in Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, we explore two key aspects of bureaucratic prioritization from the public's perspective: (1) citizens' preferences on how teachers should prioritize among students and (2) citizens' beliefs about how teachers do prioritize among students. Our findings reveal general alignments between the public's normative preferences, their descriptive beliefs, and the prioritization tendencies of real‐life teachers as documented in previous research. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of administrative legitimacy and the governance perspective of New Public Service.

Using choice Experiments to understand public preferences for reducing Lead-Based ammunition for environmental and health improvements in wetlands ecosystems

Using choice Experiments to understand public preferences for reducing Lead-Based ammunition for environmental and health improvements in wetlands ecosystems

Public preferences for street tree characteristics: A best-worst scaling experiment

Public preferences for street tree characteristics: A best-worst scaling experiment

City bus electrification in South Korea: Public preference identified through contingent valuation experiment

To respond actively to issues of climate change and particulate matters, the South Korean authorities have established a plan to electrify all city buses by 2030. This article explores public preferences for city bus electrification in South Korea through the application of contingent valuation (CV). A CV questionnaire was presented to 1000 randomly chosen households along with visual aids to induce their willingness to pay (WTP) for city bus electrification. The payment vehicle and the survey method were selected as bimonthly household income tax and person-to-person interviewing, respectively. As a method of eliciting the WTP, the one-and-one-half-bound dichotomous choice technique was utilized. To analyze the WTP data with numerous zeros, the spike model was employed. The results revealed statistically significant findings. The mean household WTP was obtained as KRW 5195 (USD 4.0) every two months. Expanding this figure to encompass the entire national population results in an annual national total of KRW 680.6 billion (USD 524.7 million). The cost involved in the electrification amounts to KRW 625.0 billion (USD 481.9 million) every year. Therefore, the national WTP outweighs the cost. City bus electrification can be socially justifiable. Furthermore, some policy issues regarding the success of city bus electrification are discussed.

Eco-social divides in public policy preferences in Great Britain.

Environmental and social policy measures can both complement and contradict each other. Recent environmental sociology literature suggests that this dual relationship can give rise to eco-social divides in European societies, as some people either endorse or reject both types of measures, while some support one set of policies but not the other. In the current paper, we use data from the British Social Attitudes survey to investigate eco-social divides in Great Britain. The results confirm the presence of four sizeable attitudinal groups with distinct combinations of welfare and environmental preferences. The sizes of the groups have nevertheless changed considerably over time, with people who are simultaneously in favour of welfare and environmental measures becoming more numerous, and the opponents of both measures becoming fewer. Cultural conservatism/progressiveness, age and political party allegiance are key predictors of eco-social attitudinal group membership.

Valuation survey for SF-6Dv2 in Japan based on the international protocol.

The SF-6D Classification System was recently updated (SF-6Dv2). We performed a valuation survey to construct a value set for the SF-6Dv2 in Japan. An online discrete choice experiment (DCE) with duration was used to estimate a value set for the SF-6Dv2 for Japan based on public preferences. The target sample number was 3800. Respondents were asked to complete 15 choice tasks. A conditional logit model that estimates interactions between time and each dimension was used to develop the value set. The collected sample included 3933 respondents for the DCE tasks. The results of all the unconstrained models showed some inconsistencies. In particular, inconsistencies in the two most severe levels of the role limitation (RL) and vitality (VT) dimensions were observed in all models. The number of inconsistencies was smallest in a core model (n = 3) and in a model for core and common health states (n = 2). The physical functioning (PF) and pain (PA) dimensions had the greatest influence on utility at the overall level across all models. RL, VT, and social functioning (SF) had smaller overall impacts on utility. The PF weights for the two most severe levels are much lower than those in the UK and Australia. The Japanese scores tended to be lower compared with the UK SF-6Dv2 scores. We obtained a value set for Japan (model 5). With the development of this value set, it is now possible to calculate quality-adjusted life years for economic evaluation in Japan when the SF-6Dv2 has been used.

Candidate withdrawal in the French 2024 national legislative elections

AbstractIn France’s 2024 legislative elections, two-thirds of the candidates who qualified for the runoff withdrew from the competition. The media argued that this was a deliberate strategy to reduce the radical right’s chances of winning an absolute majority of seats. This kind of strategic behavior is based on rationality and collective action that hardly covers the full range of possibilities. This article seeks to identify the reasons why candidates pulled out before the second round of the national legislative elections in France. Our analysis uses semi-structured interviews with candidates who withdrew and identifies several explanations for their decision: electoral tactics driven by coercion, the long-term prospects of profile-raising benefits, voter pressure, disaffection with the campaign content, and the personal examples of other candidates. These results indicate that the decision to leave the race involved rationality, responsiveness to public preferences, emotions, and a learning process.

Subgroup differences in public attitudes, preferences and self-reported behaviour related to deceased organ donation before and after the introduction of the ‘soft’ opt-out consent system in England: mixed-methods study

BackgroundIn the UK, over 7,000 people are on the waiting list for an organ transplant and there are inequalities in need, access and waiting time for organs, with notable differences between minority ethnic groups. In May 2020, England changed the law and introduced a ‘soft’ opt-out system of consent to organ donation with a view to increase consent rates. We aimed to learn more about the impact of the law change on attitudes and views likely to be relevant to consent to deceased organ donation between different population subgroups.MethodsMixed-methods design involving latent class analysis of data from twelve repeated cross-sectional surveys undertaken from 2015 to 2021 (n = 19,011); analysis of the law change survey dataset collected quarterly from 2018 to 2022 (n = 45,439); and interviews with purposively selected members of the public (n = 30) with a focus on minority perspectives.ResultsSupport for the principle of deceased organ donation remained high and stable in the general population (80%) but was 20% lower among ethnic minorities. From 2018 to 2022, an average of 58% of the general population was aware of the law change; this was lower among minority ethnic groups (31%). We identified four population subgroups (supportive donors (24% of the population); unengaged donors (22%); uncommitted donors (46%); and unsupportive donors (9%)). Interview themes included the challenges of discussing organ donation decisions, balancing autonomy with respecting family relationships, targeted misinformation, frustrations at the lack of consensus between community leaders, limited understanding of what happens during the end-of-life care leading to organ donation, and how this aligns with cultural values and preferences.ConclusionImplementation of the law change has not been associated to date with any change in public attitudes and preferences likely to influence consent overall or in minority ethnic groups in England. Uncommitted donors may benefit from encouragement to express their organ donation decision, and unengaged donors from attempts to address mis/information, confusion, and uncertainty. Interventions to raise the consent rate need to take account of the significant role of the family as well as wider community influences on attitudes, preferences and decision-making, particularly among certain minority (ethnic) groups.

They only hate the term: policy branding and the politics of critical race theory

Abstract How does the public form preferences on racialized policy issues that are both widely discussed and broadly misunderstood? This has been the question centering around the sudden attacks on academic terms like “critical race theory” (CRT). I argue that the politicization of, and opinion polarization around, critical race theory is evidence of what I call policy branding, where political parties or organizations brand an arbitrary concept that has national salience into a policy issue. Using a series of original survey experiments, this study shows that one of the primary sources of opposition to critical race theory is the literal use of the term. I juxtapose this with evidence that the education policy issue at the core, antiracist teaching, maintained strong public, bipartisan support. This study has implications for the consequences of political elite capture of academic concepts and ideas.

Narratives of worth: analyzing the effects of worthy and anti-immigrant narratives on immigration attitudes

ABSTRACT Political elites use contrasting narratives about immigrants to shape public attitudes and influence immigration policy support. This study examines how pro- and anti-immigrant narratives affect public preferences for reducing immigration in the United States. Using two distinct samples – a non-Hispanic White sample from YouGov and a racially diverse sample from NORC – the experiment reveals that exposure to these narratives significantly shapes attitudes toward immigration. Effects vary depending on the type of narrative, as well as respondents’ political affiliations and racial backgrounds. Specifically, the pro- (‘worthy’) immigrant narrative, which portrays immigrants as hardworking, law-abiding members of the in-group, reduces support for lowering immigration levels, especially among White respondents, with Republicans and Independents showing the greatest shift. In contrast, the anti-immigrant narrative, which characterizes unauthorized immigrants as undeserving outsiders, increases support for reducing immigration across racial groups. This research advances our understanding of how political rhetoric shapes public attitudes toward immigration by employing large, diverse samples and realistic portrayals of pro- and anti-immigrant narratives.

Survey of Citizens' Preferences for Combined Contact Tracing App Features During a Pandemic: Conjoint Analysis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased need for novel solutions such as digital contact tracing apps to mitigate virus spread became apparent. These apps have the potential to enhance public health initiatives through timely contact tracing and infection rate reduction. However, public and academic scrutiny has emerged around the adoption and use of these apps due to privacy concerns. This study aims to investigate public attitudes and preferences for contact tracing apps, specifically in Japan, using conjoint analysis to examine what specifications the public values most in such apps. By offering a nuanced understanding of the values that citizens prioritize, this study can help balance public health benefits and data privacy standards when designing contact tracing apps and serve as reference data for discussions on legal development and social consensus formation in the future. A cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire survey was conducted to determine how various factors related to the development and integration of infectious disease apps affect the public's intention to use such apps. Individuals were recruited anonymously by a survey company. All respondents were asked to indicate their preferences for a combination of basic attributes and infectious disease app features for conjoint analysis. The respondents were randomly divided into 2 groups: one responded to a scenario where the government was assumed to be the entity dealing with infectious disease apps (ie, the government cluster), and the other responded to a scenario where a commercial company was assumed to be this entity (ie, the business cluster). Samples of 500 respondents from each randomly selected group were used as target data. For the government cluster, the most important attribute in scenario A was distributor rights (42.557), followed by public benefits (29.458), personal health benefits (22.725), and profit sharing (5.260). For the business cluster, the most important attribute was distributor rights (45.870), followed by public benefits (32.896), personal health benefits (13.994), and profit sharing (7.240). Hence, personal health benefits tend to be more important in encouraging active app use than personal financial benefits. However, the factor that increased motivation for app use the most was the public health benefits of cutting infections by half. Further, concern about the use of personal data collected by the app for any secondary purpose was a negative incentive, which was more significant toward app use compared to the other 3 factors. The findings suggest that potential app users are positively motivated not only by personal health benefits but also by contributing to public health. Thus, a combined approach can be taken to increase app use.

Does nature’s contributions to people value realization policy in China improve public awareness and preferences for marine biodiversity conservation? A temporal stability analysis

Management policies are crucial for safeguarding sustained and stable marine biodiversity amidst ongoing pressures such as land use change, pollution, resource overexploitation, invasive alien species and climate change. China established a nature’s contributions to people value realization policy (NCPVR) in 2021, aiming to encourage stakeholders to prioritize environmentally beneficial production and consumption choices, thereby stimulating intrinsic public motivation for ecological conservation. Biodiversity conservation is an integral component of the NCPVR policy. A choice experiment method was employed to investigate the changes in public preferences for marine biodiversity conservation in Jiaozhou Bay before and after the enactment of the NCPVR policy (in 2017 and 2023, respectively), aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy on marine biodiversity conservation. The results indicate that two years after the implementation of the NCPVR, the public’s overall breadth and depth of awareness regarding marine biodiversity increased. Additionally, public preferences for marine biodiversity conservation increased, expanding from two categories in 2017 (shallow-water swimming organisms and marine plants) to five categories in 2023 (with the addition of seabirds, plankton, and intertidal and benthic organisms). The willingness to pay (WTP) for seabirds, plankton, and intertidal and benthic organisms, as well as shallow-water swimming organisms, increased from 32.21~85.77 CNY/person·year to 98.21~140.49 CNY/person·year. China’s NCPVR policy effectively conveyed important information about biodiversity conservation in the short term, enhancing public awareness and preferences for marine biodiversity conservation. The study also revealed that economic incentive policies for NCPVR remain at the conceptual propaganda level and lack operational incentives for biodiversity conservation. It is recommended that the government deepen the design of value realization pathways and market trading arrangements to stimulate the intrinsic motivation of the public for marine biodiversity conservation and ensure the long-term effectiveness of policies.

A qualitative study about the public's perception of primary care providers.

With the growth of physician associates/assistants (PAs) and NPs providing primary care services, we sought to understand the public's perception of the different types of healthcare providers (HCPs) they might encounter in a clinical setting, such as primary care. This study aimed to evaluate public perceptions about various types of primary care providers (PCPs), identify public preferences for PCPs in relation to experience and training, and examine public preferences for PCP credentials. We conducted semistructured interviews with adults, and used inductive and deductive coding and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data. We reached thematic saturation after 12 completed interviews. Participants reported confusion about the types of HCPs they might encounter in a primary care setting (for example, physician, PA, NP). Participants who reported a preference for a physician valued more years in training and their role in the hierarchy of medicine; those who reported a preference for a PA or NP indicated that compassion, patience, and longer clinic visit times were most important to them. Previous reports suggested that the public might be confused by the different types of HCPs they might encounter during a primary care visit. Participants identified specific characteristics that are important when they are choosing their PCP. A direct, coordinated marketing campaign may be needed to educate the public and reduce confusion about different types of PCPs, how they contribute to safe and high-quality care, and ensure preference-concordant care.

E-participation in energy transitions: What does it mean? Chances and challenges within Germany's Energiewende

Does e-participation generate more democratic legitimacy in the context of the German Energiewende through more input and procedural justice, better outputs and environmental outcomes that are accepted by the public? In recent years, many forms of e-participation have emerged, and space for experiments with visual and interactive technologies has been created. However, research evaluating e-participation technologies in energy transitions is lacking. This study uses interviews with 33 stakeholders in a planned wind farm project, combined with online survey results, to derive empirical insights into attitudes towards and preferences for e-participation. On the one hand, we observe openness towards new options for creative input and visualization-based online tools and virtual realities. On the other hand, stakeholders fear vulnerabilities and are skeptical about the efficacy of online discourse. Institutional stakeholders primarily see risks in civic participation, while citizens themselves see the benefits. Unexploited potential for creative input, deliberation, and collaborative planning could be leveraged to increase democratic legitimacy. In this context, better outputs are not synonymous with accepting outcomes, but can include changes to or even rejection of plans based on public preferences and concerns. This potential remains largely untapped, however, and requires a willingness to participate, thus calling for mobilization strategies.

Are algorithms always fair? The study on public preferences toward algorithmic decision‐making: A case study from the perspectives of decision scenarios and social roles

AbstractThe integration of algorithmic decision‐making into daily life gives rise to a need to understand public attitudes toward this phenomenon. This study uses online experiments to explore how decision scenarios and roles influence public preferences for algorithms. In‐depth interviews were conducted to examine interpretations of algorithmic fairness. The findings indicate a preference for algorithms, yet a stronger preference for human decision‐making in ethically complex scenarios. Decision‐makers demonstrate greater acceptance of algorithms. Participants perceive algorithmic fairness from social and technical perspectives, emphasizing autonomy and transparency. Despite a general preference for algorithms, concerns persist, revealing a nuanced view of algorithmic fairness as a form of societal power.