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Gain and Loss Domains and the Choice of Welfare Measure of Positive and Negative Changes

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  • Knetsch, Jack L.
  • Riyanto, Yohanes E.
  • Zong, Jichuan

Abstract

Mounting evidence continues to suggest that people value changes in terms of a neutral reference state and that those in the domain of losses are commonly valued far more than those in the gains. Consequently, both negative and positive changes in the domain of losses, including mitigation of losses such as restoring environmental quality and reducing accident rates, may be more accurately valued with the minimum acceptable-compensation (WTA) measure, those in the domain of gains are more accurate with the maximum willingness-to-pay (WTP) measure. Current practice, that assumes equivalence and that all positive changes are considered as gains, is therefore likely to often seriously mislead.

Suggested Citation

  • Knetsch, Jack L. & Riyanto, Yohanes E. & Zong, Jichuan, 2012. "Gain and Loss Domains and the Choice of Welfare Measure of Positive and Negative Changes," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(4), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jbcoan:v:3:y:2012:i:04:p:1-18_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Nordström, Jonas & Hammarlund, Cecilia, 2021. "You win some, you lose some - compensating the loss of green space in cities taking heterogeneous population characteristics into consideration," AgriFood-WP 2021:3, Lund University, AgriFood Economics Centre.
    2. Kiet T. Nguyen & Jack L. Knetsch & Phumsith Mahasuweerachai, 2021. "WTP or WTA: A Means of Determining the Appropriate Welfare Measure of Positive and Negative Changes When Preferences are Reference Dependent," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 78(4), pages 615-633, April.
    3. Knetsch, Jack L., 2016. "Some Uses, Underuses, And Misuses Of The Findings Of Disparities Between People’S Valuations Of Gains And Losses," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 10(2-3), pages 1-8.
    4. John Komlos, 2014. "Behavioral Indifference Curves," NBER Working Papers 20240, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Thomas Kniesner & W. Viscusi & James Ziliak, 2014. "Willingness to accept equals willingness to pay for labor market estimates of the value of a statistical life," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 187-205, June.
    6. Kip Viscusi, W. & Gayer, Ted, 2016. "Rational Benefit Assessment for an Irrational World: Toward a Behavioral Transfer Test1," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 69-91, April.
    7. Jack L. Knetsch, 2016. "Reference Dependence And Other Behavioral Findings: The Likelihood Of Serious Evaluation And Policy Biases," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 61(03), pages 1-11, June.

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