Testing for Framing Effects in Environmental Choice Modelling

Researchers using stated preference environmental valuation techniques are interested in identifying the extent to which framing effects impact on value estimates. Framing effects occur when the context in which the hypothetical scenarios and tradeoffs put to respondents in an application differ from those that would be important if actual transactions were involved. Because scenarios have to be defined succinctly to respondents, the challenge for researchers is to identify how the particular ‘frame’ used affects responses, and how different groups of respondents may view settings. In this paper, an application of a stated preference technique termed Choice Modelling is reported in the context of pastoral land development in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Choice Modelling embodies some features that enable the impact of framing to be assessed directly.