RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Status Quo Effect in Choice Experiments: Empirical Evidence on Attitudes and Choice Task Complexity
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 515
OP 528
DO 10.3368/le.85.3.515
VO 85
IS 3
A1 Meyerhoff, Jürgen
A1 Liebe, Ulf
YR 2009
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/85/3/515.abstract
AB Many studies on individual decision making have shown that a disproportionate number of respondents choose the status quo (SQ) alternative. But it is still unclear what motivates individuals to disproportionately select the SQ alternative. Using data from two choice experiments about forest biodiversity, we find evidence that a protest attitude, an attitude toward the good, and perceived choice task complexity influence the choice of the SQ. However, only the attitude toward the good in question and the protest attitude show significant effects across all econometric specifications. (JEL Q51, Q57)