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Distribution-free estimation with interval-censored contingent valuation data: troubles with Turnbull?

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  • Brett Day

Abstract

Contingent valuation (CV) surveys frequently employ elicitation procedures that return interval-censored data on respondents’ willingness to pay (WTP). Almost without exception, CV practitioners have applied Turnbull’s self-consistent algorithm to such data in order to obtain nonparametric maximum likelihood (NPML) estimates of the WTP distribution. This paper documents two failings of Turnbull’s algorithm; (1) that it may not converge to NPML estimates and (2) that it may be very slow to converge. With regards to (1) we propose starting and stopping criteria for the algorithm that guarantee convergence to the NPML estimates. With regards to (2) we present a variety of alternative estimators and demonstrate, through Monte Carlo simulations, their performance advantages over Turnbull’s algorithm. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2007

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  • Brett Day, 2007. "Distribution-free estimation with interval-censored contingent valuation data: troubles with Turnbull?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 37(4), pages 777-795, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:37:y:2007:i:4:p:777-795
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-006-9061-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. James B. McDonald & Daniel B. Walton & Bryan Chia, 2020. "Distributional Assumptions and the Estimation of Contingent Valuation Models," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 56(2), pages 431-460, August.
    2. Zapata, Samuel D. & Isengildina-Massa, Olga & Carpio, Carlos E. & Lamie, R. David, 2016. "Does E-Commerce Help Farmers’ Markets? Measuring the Impact of MarketMaker," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 47(2), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Carlos E. Carpio, & Octavio A. Ramirez, & Tullaya Boonsaeng, 2011. "Potential for Tradable Water Allocation and Rights in Jordan," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 87(4), pages 595-609.
    4. Zapata, Samuel D. & Carpio, Carlos E., . "Distribution-Free Methods to Estimate Willingness to Pay Models Using Discrete Response Valuation Data," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 49(1).
    5. Zapata, Samuel D. & Carpio, Carlos E., 2014. "Distribution-free Methods for Estimation of Willingness to Pay Models Using Discrete Response Valuation Data," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170453, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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