Value Elicitation using BDM and a Discrete Choice Mechanism

We compare the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism to a discrete choice mechanism for revealing willingness to pay (WTP) in a lab experiment. Differences in WTP disappear when considering only engaged bidders with non-zero bids. Only WTP elicited with BDM are sensitive to the variation of quantity offered to participants.experimental economics, substitution

Tax, Subsidy, and/or Information for Health: An Example from Fish Consumption

A calibrated model is used to determine the welfare impacts of various regulatory instruments for improving health. The results of a lab experiment are integrated in a partial equilibrium model representing demands for two kinds of fish, one with higher nutritional benefits (canned sardines) and one with higher contamination risks (canned tuna) in France. In the laboratory, information about health effects leads to a statistically significant decrease (increase) in the willingness to pay for tuna (sardines). Simulations with the laboratory results show that, for most cases, a per-unit tax on tuna and a per-unit subsidy on sardines without any information revealed to consumers lead to the highest welfare, because both the tax and subsidy directly internalize health characteristics. The information policy combined with a per-unit tax on tuna and a per-unit subsidy on sardines is socially profitable only if a large proportion of consumers (greater than 95%) receives health information

Dissemination of Health Information within Social Networks

In this paper, we investigate, how information about a common food born health hazard, known as Campylobacter, spreads once it was delivered to a random sample of individuals in France. The central question addressed here is how individual characteristics and the various aspects of social network influence the spread of information. A key claim of our paper is that information diffusion processes occur in a patterned network of social ties of heterogeneous actors. Our percolation models show that the characteristics of the recipients of the information matter as much if not more than the characteristics of the sender of the information in deciding whether the information will be transmitted through a particular tie. We also found that at least for this particular advisory, it is not the perceived need of the recipients for the information that matters but their general interest in the topic

The Effect of Information Choice and Discussion on Consumers' Willingness-to-Pay for Nanotechnologies in Food

We evaluate the impact of different information sequences on participants’ hypothetical willingness to pay (WTP) for food produced using nanotechnology. In three treatment groups, information on the health, societal, or environmental impact linked to nanotechnology was revealed in different sequences: an imposed order, a chosen order, and a chosen order after a discussion among participants. Results show that information choice is important. While in the imposed order, the first information revealed has no effect on WTP, the information chosen first has a strong impact. Discussion has no further impact. Health information was a priority and significantly decreased WTP, while societal and environmental information did not significantly influence WTP.discussion, experimental economics, food nanotechnology, information choice, willingness to pay, Demand and Price Analysis,

Use of advanced cluster analysis to characterize seafood consumption patterns and methyle mercury exposures among pregnant women

Because of the variability in food contamination and nutrient contents, consumers must balance the risks and benefits of fish consumption through their choice of species, meal size and frequency. The objectives of this study were to characterize the risk of MeHg exposure in French pregnant women consuming fish, and to explore the use of unsupervised statistical learning as an advanced type of cluster analysis to identify patterns of fish consumption that could predict exposure to MeHg and the coverage of the Recommended Daily Allowance for n-3 PUFA. The proportion of pregnant women exposed at levels higher than the Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) for MeHg is similar to that observed amongst women of childbearing age in previous French studies. At the same time, only about 50% of the women reached the recommended intake of 500 mg/day n-3 PUFA. Cluster analysis of the fish consumption showed that they could be grouped in five major clusters that are largely predictable of the intake of both MeHg and n-3 PUFA. This study provides demonstrates that a global increase in seafood consumption could lead to MeHg exposure above the toxicological limits, thereby questioning the potential beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA intakes

The morality of attitudes toward nanotechnology: about God, techno-scientific progress, and interfering with nature

Using survey data, we examine public attitudes toward and awareness of nanotechnology in Germany (N = 750). First, it is shown that a majority of the people are still not familiar with nanotechnology. In addition, diffusion of information about nanotechnology thus far mostly seems to reach men and people with a relative higher educational background. Also, pro-science and technology views are positively related with nanotech familiarity. Results further show that a majority of the people have an indifferent, ambiguous, or non-attitude toward nanotechnology. Multinomial logit analyses further reveal that nanotech familiarity is positively related with people’s attitudes. In addition, it is shown that traditional religiosity is unrelated to attitudes and that individual religiosity is weakly related to nanotechnology attitudes. However, moral covariates other than religiosity seem of major importance. In particular, our results show that more negative views on technological and scientific progress as well as more holistic views about the relation between people and the environment increase the likelihood of having a negative attitude toward nanotechnology

Food risk, communication and consumer behaviors

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