Social Desirability and Environmental Valuation

Socially desirable responding (SDR) is an often-reported source of bias in survey interviews. It describes the tendency of a respondent to answer in a way that is socially desirable rather than to answer truthfully. This response bias also threatens the reliability and validity of survey-based environmental valuation techniques such as the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). Therefore, the study deals with the assessment of the conditions for the occurrence of SDR in CVM interviews. A behavioral model is devised to take into account a set of factors triggering SDR responses. The impact of these factors of SDR on willingness to pay (WTP) responses is tested. The results reveal that the relevant factors do not affect WTP statements simultaneously but rather influence them in an independent manner. These findings can improve future CVM studies by identifying respondents who are prone to be influenced by SDR.

Autorentext

Tobias Börger, 2007 economist (Diplom-Volkswirt) at the University of Bonn; since 2007 scientific assistant at the Department of Economics at the University of Hohenheim; 2004-2005 Studies of economics and Chinese language at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics; 2007-2010 field research in Yunnan Province, China; 2011 doctoral degree.

Inhalt
Contents: Survey-based environmental valuation Adaption of the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to the socio-cultural background of China Integration of socio-psychological concepts into the economic valuation of environmental goods.