HYPOTHETICAL (NON)BIAS IN CHOICE EXPERIMENTS: EVIDENCE FROM FRESHWATER PRAWNS

Abstract

A mail survey choice experiment and in-store controlled experiment were conducted concurrently in the same location to test for hypothetical bias in choice experiments using a new product—freshwater prawns. Findings suggest that hypothetical bias in the mail survey was not present for the new product, but some hypothetical bias was detected for substitute products, depending on the choice of econometric estimation method. However, the general conclusion is the choice experiments are an effective means of assessing potential market demand for new products with little evidence for hypothetical bias.hypothetical bias, choice experiments, in-store experiments, functional form choice