Attribute-Based Methods

Stated preference methods of environmental valuation have been used by economists for decades where behavioral data have limitations. The contingent valuation method (Chapter 5) is the oldest stated preference approach, and hundreds of contingent valuation studies have been conducted. More recently, and especially over the last decade, a new class of stated preference methods has been developed, which we generically refer to as attribute-based methods (ABMs). As with contingent valuation, numerous ABM variants exist, employing, for example, different constructs for eliciting preferences. In this chapter, we describe the various ABMs currently used, explain how to construct an attribute-based experiment, and recommend methods for environmental valuation.