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Does the WTA/WTP ratio diminish as the severity of a health complaint is reduced? Testing for smoothness of the underlying utility of wealth function

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  • Susan Chilton
  • Michael Jones-Lee
  • Rebecca McDonald
  • Hugh Metcalf

Abstract

The aim of the study reported in this paper is to test the hypothesis that individual utility of wealth functions may violate the assumption of smoothness that underpins the standard analysis of the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) and safety. In order to do so we examine the way in which the Willingness to Accept/Willingness to Pay (WTA/WTP) ratio varies as the severity of a health complaint is reduced. We find that as the severity of the health effect is reduced, the WTA/WTP ratio converges across the sample and tends to a level that does not significantly exceed unity. While we acknowledge that this does not constitute conclusive evidence of smoothness, it does suggest that the case in favour of the assumption that individual utility of wealth functions tend to display a kink at the current level of wealth is less than wholly persuasive. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012

Suggested Citation

  • Susan Chilton & Michael Jones-Lee & Rebecca McDonald & Hugh Metcalf, 2012. "Does the WTA/WTP ratio diminish as the severity of a health complaint is reduced? Testing for smoothness of the underlying utility of wealth function," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:45:y:2012:i:1:p:1-24
    DOI: 10.1007/s11166-012-9145-5
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Christian A. Vossler & Stéphane Bergeron & Maurice Doyon & Daniel Rondeau, 2023. "Revisiting the Gap between the Willingness to Pay and Willingness to Accept for Public Goods," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 10(2), pages 413-445.
    3. Mark J. Koetse, 2017. "Effects of payment vehicle non-attendance in choice experiments on value estimates and the WTA–WTP disparity," Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 225-245, July.
    4. Adriënne H. Rotteveel & Mattijs S. Lambooij & Nicolaas P. A. Zuithoff & Job Exel & Karel G. M. Moons & G. Ardine Wit, 2020. "Valuing Healthcare Goods and Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the WTA-WTP Disparity," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 38(5), pages 443-458, May.
    5. Mark J. Koetse & Roy Brouwer, 2016. "Reference Dependence Effects on WTA and WTP Value Functions and Their Disparity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(4), pages 723-745, December.
    6. Lloyd-Smith, Patrick & Adamowicz, Wiktor, 2018. "Can stated measures of willingness-to-accept be valid? Evidence from laboratory experiments," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 133-149.
    7. Michal Lewandowski, 2014. "Buying and selling price for risky lotteries and expected utility theory with gambling wealth," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 253-283, June.
    8. Radmehr, Mehrshad & Willis, Ken & Kenechi, Ugo Elinwa, 2014. "A framework for evaluating WTP for BIPV in residential housing design in developing countries: A case study of North Cyprus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 207-216.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Willingness to accept; Willingness to pay; VSL; J17;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J17 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Value of Life; Foregone Income

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