We examine the impact of individual-specific information processing strategies (IPSs) on the inclusion/exclusion of attributes on the parameter estimates and behavioural outputs of models of discrete choice. Current practice assumes that individuals employ a homogenous IPS with regards to how...

Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation contains three essays on risk aversion. In the first essay, we an-alyze comparative risk aversion in a new way, through a comparative statics problemin which, for a cost, agents can shift from an initial probability distribution towarda preferred distribution. The Ross...

This research examines a new methodology for prospectively estimating thewillingness of travelers to use a toll road by combining travel time saved with theincome of the prospective customer base. The purpose of the research is to facilitatenetwork level planning by allowing some reasonable...

Economic aspects of household recycling behavior and attitudes in City of Bryan are examined to improve solid waste management policies in the city. Using survey data collected by mail and personal interviews, residents’ attitudes towards solid waste management are analyzed, in general, and...

This paper is concerned with the empirical relationship between biodiversity conservation values and income. We use random effects panel models to examine the effects of income, and then GDP per capita, on willingness to pay for habitat and biodiversity conservation. In a meta-analysis, 145...

"The power sector in the south IndianState of Andhra Pradesh faces a significant supply deficit as well as restrictions in the national availability of fossil resources and grid capacity. Moreover, electricity supply is of low quality in terms of scheduled and unscheduled power cuts and peak...

In the first chapter of this dissertation, I outline a hedonic equilibrium model that explicitly controls for moving costs and forward-looking behavior. Hedonic equilibrium models allow researchers to recover willingness to pay for spatially delineated amenities by using the notion that...

American insurers are designing products to contain healthcare costs by making consumers financially responsible for their choices. Little is known about how consumers will view these new designs. Our objective is to examine consumer preferences for selected benefit designs.Methods: We used the...

Part one of the thesis studies differential diagnosticity towards substantive extrinsic information available in the environment. This research tests the interaction between regulatory focus and availability of extrinsic-substantive information such as consensus information, on the range of...