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Previous studies have shown that punishment can increase and stabilize cooperation in many situations. In this study, we conducted an online stated-choice experiment in Japan to elicit respondents' preferences for different types of punishments that they thought should be imposed on uncooperative people to encourage cooperation within a team. We observed heterogeneity in preferences for different types of punishment among individuals in different preference groups, as estimated from the latent class logit model. Our results suggest that several socioeconomic characteristics are associated with the classification of preference groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the preferences of patients with asthma and asthma-treating clinicians for attributes of biologic treatments, to compare patients' and clinicians' preferences, and to better understand the reasons for their preferences. Methods: Adults with moderate-to-severe asthma and clinicians who treat asthma in the US completed a cross-sectional, online survey including a discrete choice experiment (DCE) that consisted of seven attributes spanning treatment efficacy, risk and convenience. Marginal utilities were estimated using a mixed logit model, and relative attribute importance scores calculated. Clinicians were also asked about the value of biomarker agnostic biologic treatments. The survey was followed by qualitative interviews targeting a sub-sample of survey participants, in which the rationale behind their survey responses was discussed. Results: In the DCE, both patients and clinicians placed the most importance on exacerbation and hospitalization rate reduction, and risk of injection site reaction. Patients valued location of administration more than clinicians. Rationale for individual-level preferences varied, with patients and clinicians reporting their preference depended on event frequency and anticipated quality of life impacts. Clinicians mentioned compliance and financial impacts, while patients mentioned personal experience, particularly around site reactions. Most patients and clinicians would value a biomarker agnostic asthma treatment. Conclusions: Asthma treatment preferences are largely driven by treatment efficacy and minimizing the risk of site reactions, although preferences differ between patients and clinicians across other attributes, highlighting the need for shared decision-making and individualized care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the factors that influence consumers' choice of autonomous cars in their new car purchase behavior. We surveyed stated preferences for autonomous driving technology and then analyzed the survey data using a multinominal logit model to examine how various factors—including price, consumer attributes, and respondents' evaluations of autonomous car characteristics—influence consumers' choice of car technology. The results of analysis indicate that experience with adaptive cruise control (ACC), as well as expectations about the enjoyment that autonomous cars will bring to consumers' daily lives, have a significant impact on their decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Strengthening and reforming the urban primary healthcare (PHC) system is essential to efficiently deliver need-based healthcare services to the rapidly increasing urban poor population. Such reforms of PHC system need to emphasize the opinion of patients in co-designing services in order that delivery of services can be accessed effectively by the urban population in a timely and low-cost way. Hence, it is important to identify the preference of urban population while choosing healthcare providers. The aim of this proposed protocol is to summarize a planned systematic review of existing evidence on the attributes considered for choosing PHC providers in urban settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as classified by the World Bank. Methods and analyses: An inclusive literature search will be conducted in electronic databases including Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Databases will be searched from the earliest date of entry until March 30, 2024. Database search will be supplemented by manual search of citations, reference lists, and grey literature sources. Following the pre-set inclusion and exclusion criterion, two researchers will independently screen all the retrieved studies in Covidence. Any discrepancies will be resolved through a discussion between two researchers, and if disagreements persist, a third reviewer will be consulted. The methodological quality of included studies will be appraised using checklist for Conjoint Analysis studies and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). An Excel-based data extraction table will be developed, piloted, and refined during the review process. Preference attributes will be identified and analyzed according to their types. The systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Discussion: The identification of attributes, their influence on preference, and heterogeneity with socioeconomic characteristics of the population will help the policymakers and researchers to design targeted PHC interventions. Such evidence will be also useful to design choice experiment studies to quantify the preferred attributes of PHC providers in urban context of LMICs. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42023409720. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Patient preferences for the features of targeted chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) therapies may differ. Materials & methods: A discrete-choice experiment (DCE) survey was administered to 229 respondents recruited through the CLL Society. Results: Respondents placed most importance on increasing the chance of progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years from 70 to 90% and confirming results with measurable residual disease (MRD) testing instead of routine testing. Respondents also preferred daily oral administration over intravenous infusion every 4 weeks, fixed-duration treatments over treat-to-progression treatments and treatments with lower side effect risks. Reducing risk of tumor lysis syndrome was least important relative to changes in other attributes. Conclusion: The combination of improving PFS combined with confirming results using MRD testing was more important than changes in all other study attributes included in the DCE. Results from this study can help inform shared decision-making when selecting therapies for CLL. Plain Language Summary Several targeted treatments are available for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These treatments target specific proteins present in CLL cancer cells. They differ in how long they keep cancer from progressing, how the results are measured and the side effects they cause. Some targeted CLL treatments are taken as a daily pill, and others are given by intravenous infusion. Some targeted treatments are given for a fixed amount of time, and others are given until CLL progresses. We surveyed 229 US patients with CLL to understand what features they most value in a targeted CLL treatment. Survey participants were recruited through the CLL Society, a nonprofit organization devoted to education, support, advocacy and research for the CLL community. Survey results indicated that participants placed the most importance on increasing the chance that the cancer would not progress after 2 years from 70 to 90% and confirming results with measurable residual disease testing (which can detect minute levels of leukemia cells) instead of routine testing. Participants also preferred taking a pill every day over receiving an intravenous infusion every 4 weeks and preferred treatments given for a fixed amount of time over treatments given until CLL progresses. Participants preferred treatments with lower chances of tumor lysis syndrome (a potentially organ-damaging condition that may result following treatment), irregular heartbeat and fatigue. It is important for doctors to understand the treatment features that matter to people living with CLL so that they can work with patients individually to choose the right treatment. Tweetable Abstract Patients with CLL prioritize the chance of progression-free survival at 2 years and confirming results with measurable residual disease when considering the attributes of targeted CLL therapies. To quantify respondents' preferences for attributes associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatments, a web-based discrete-choice experiment (DCE) survey was developed and administered to respondents recruited through the CLL Society. Respondents (N = 229) answered 12 DCE questions, each offering a choice between two hypothetical treatment profiles defined by seven attributes with varying levels; data were analyzed using a random-parameters logit model. Respondents placed the most importance on increasing the chance of progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years from 70 to 90% and confirming results with measurable residual disease (MRD) testing instead of routine testing. Respondents also preferred daily oral administration over intravenous infusion every 4 weeks, treatments with a fixed duration over treat-to-progression treatments, and treatments with a lower risk of side effects; reducing the risk of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) was least important relative to changes in the other study attributes. Respondents were willing to accept a >3% risk of TLS, the largest risk presented in the survey, in exchange for almost all improvements in chance of PFS, duration of treatment and mode of administration shown in the survey. Confirmation with MRD testing was more important to respondents when the chance of achieving PFS was lower (70%) than when it was higher (90%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the economic benefits of avoiding reductions in drinking water quality due to sea level rise accruing to North Carolina (NC) coastal tourists. Using stated preference methods and responses from recent coastal visitors, we find that tourists are 2%, 8%, and 11% less likely to take an overnight trip if drinking water tastes slightly, moderately, or very salty at their chosen destination. The majority of those who decline a trip would take a trip to another NC beach without water quality issues, others would take another type of recreational trip, with a minority opting to stay home. Willingness to pay for an overnight beach trip declines with the salty taste of drinking water. We find evidence of attribute non‐attendance in the stated preference data, which impacts the regression model and estimates of the willingness to pay for trips. Combining economic and hydrological models, annual aggregate benefit losses due to low drinking water quality could be as high as $232 million by 2040. Key Points: We estimate the benefits to North Carolina coastal tourists of avoiding reductions in drinking water quality due to sea level riseWillingness to pay for an overnight beach trip declines with the salty taste of drinking waterAnnual aggregate benefit losses due to low drinking water quality could be as high as $232 million in 2040 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines smallholder farmers' preferences and willingness to pay for an improved irrigation water supply program in northwest Ethiopia. We employed a discrete choice experiment with five attributes and three levels. Data were collected from randomly selected sample households of both irrigation users and non-users. A total of 379 respondents participated, and a mixed logit model was used to analyze the household-level survey data. The result indicates that to deviate from the business-as-usual scenario, smallholder farmers are willing to pay between 3,228 and 8,327 Ethiopian Birr per hectare of irrigated land. Furthermore, the results showed a strong public preference for access to produce cash crops, followed by irrigation water availability in the dry season, and adequate access to improved farm inputs. The results also provide useful information for policymakers and suggested possibilities for generating finance from farmers to cover the operation and maintenance costs of irrigation schemes. Also, this study result reveals that irrigation development and expansion must be integrated into a comprehensive support package that combines irrigation water with access to improved farm inputs and access to produce cash crops on farmers' farm plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Strengthening and reforming the urban primary healthcare (PHC) system is essential to efficiently deliver need-based healthcare services to the rapidly increasing urban poor population. Such reforms of PHC system need to emphasize the opinion of patients in co-designing services in order that delivery of services can be accessed effectively by the urban population in a timely and low-cost way. Hence, it is important to identify the preference of urban population while choosing healthcare providers. The aim of this proposed protocol is to summarize a planned systematic review of existing evidence on the attributes considered for choosing PHC providers in urban settings of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as classified by the World Bank. Methods and analyses An inclusive literature search will be conducted in electronic databases including Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Databases will be searched from the earliest date of entry until March 30, 2024. Database search will be supplemented by manual search of citations, reference lists, and grey literature sources. Following the pre-set inclusion and exclusion criterion, two researchers will independently screen all the retrieved studies in Covidence. Any discrepancies will be resolved through a discussion between two researchers, and if disagreements persist, a third reviewer will be consulted. The methodological quality of included studies will be appraised using checklist for Conjoint Analysis studies and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). An Excel-based data extraction table will be developed, piloted, and refined during the review process. Preference attributes will be identified and analyzed according to their types. The systematic review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Discussion The identification of attributes, their influence on preference, and heterogeneity with socioeconomic characteristics of the population will help the policymakers and researchers to design targeted PHC interventions. Such evidence will be also useful to design choice experiment studies to quantify the preferred attributes of PHC providers in urban context of LMICs. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42023409720.

This study aims to identify the attributes of public transportation buses (PTB) preferred by passengers, which will be perceived as the buses’ quality of service. PTB of Sri Lanka faces several issues impacting its quality, efficiency, and modal share. Understanding user perceptions is essential to enhancing service quality and addressing the challenges that deter bus usage. Thirteen shortlisted attributes were rated by 84 (61 Male and 23 Female) respondents, and the top five attributes were selected. The study gathered user preferences towards PTB using Stated Preference (SP) and Revealed Preference (RP) methods for the five chosen attributes. RP data were modelled using a multiple linear regression model with R language. The data set comprised 192 (127 Male and 65 Female) valid responses. SP data showed that the respondents favoured medium-speed buses (51.2%) that were clean and reliable. Time of arrival was the most crucial attribute (30.3%), followed by vehicle condition (24.3%). Segment analysis revealed that gender and vehicle ownership significantly impacted preferences. Both gender and vehicle ownership segments prioritised arrival time and least valued seat comfort. The study emphasises the importance of prioritising punctuality over comfort. The findings of this study could provide valuable insights for policymakers to design more user-centric strategies, potentially enhancing the efficiency and attractiveness of bus services in Sri Lanka.

As rural residents increasingly migrate to urban areas to improve living conditions, employment, and education, closely examining the relationship between residential choices and accessibility becomes crucial. This study employs a Stated Preference Survey (SP) with an orthogonal experimental design and uses the Multinomial Logit Model (MNL) to explore the preferences of rural residents for accessibility in the built environment when choosing new residences, including potential disparities between residents on the urban fringe and those in suburban areas. The findings reveal a strong inclination among residents for proximity to essential services such as education, transportation, healthcare, markets, recreation, and amenities. Preferred residential locations include within a 2-kilometre radius of schools, 300 metres from bus stops, 500 metres from medical facilities, 2 kilometres from markets, between 500 metres and 1 kilometre from leisure facilities, and within 1 kilometre of supermarkets. Additionally, commuting time preferences vary, with rural residents favoring a 15-minute commute, peri-urban residents preferring 5 minutes, and distant suburban residents showing no clear preference for commute times ranging from 5 to 15 minutes. These insights carry significant implications for urban and rural planning and development.

In the era of Education 4.0, the development of smart schools represents a significant step forward. Learning spaces are critical to the success of smart school construction in primary and secondary schools, due to their significant impact on school-age children. This study focuses on identifying key spatial factors that influence students’ psychological preferences and learning utility in smart learning spaces. To achieve this, a visual stated preference method was employed to design a questionnaire, which was used to survey primary and secondary school students in Harbin, China. The resulting data was analyzed using a discrete choice model, which enabled the measurement of the utility levels of different learning space factors. The results show that students’ learning space preferences are significantly influenced by a variety of spatial factors, with the combination mode of classrooms and outdoors having the highest level of influence, followed by a completely open interface, U-shape seating layout, zoned color tone, and the combination mode of classrooms and corridors; the students surveyed show a significant negative preference for heteromorphic spaces compared to rectangular spaces. The discussion recommends the design of smart learning spaces around key spatial factors to enhance the utility of student learning.

Tourism is a major source of income for many regions; however, its impacts on residents' daily lives are significant, especially regarding their travel behavior. Local transportation infrastructure is challenged by large tourist flows, and thus residents need to adapt to the new environment by changing their usual habits, such as travel mode, frequency, destination etc. In this study, a multinomial logistic regression mode choice model is developed to capture tourism impacts on residents' travel behavior, using data from the island of Rhodes, Greece. According to study findings, tourism has in fact an impact on residents' travel mode preferences, as they tend to opt for more agile modes such as motorcycles, instead of cars, and adopt defensive driving during tourist seasons. This study can facilitate public transport operators, planners, and municipalities in tourist regions, to apply effective policies to mitigate negative impacts of tourism in local traffic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enabling older adults to age at home is an urgent issue. This study focuses on the attitudes of middle-aged and older people (MAOP) in the capital cities of Taiwan, which are characterised by expensive housing prices and living costs, to examine their preferences for reverse mortgage (RM) schemes. The stated preference method and conditional multinomial logit model are utilised for analysis. The study simulates the total payment duration (TPD) and monthly payment amounts (MPA) to determine the market share of MAOPs' choices regarding terms. The results indicate that MAOPs tend to opt for RM schemes when they have children, partly enhancing the preference toward the long-term alternative (AL). Increasing the MPA has a positive effect on the market share of the AL scheme, but the amount must be increased to 90% to replace the market share of non-participation schemes significantly. The experimental design of this study could serve as a reference for future RM scheme designs. The findings suggest that there should be more alternative funding sources in an ageing society, particularly through revitalising housing assets, to promote ageing in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: Patient preferences regarding thyroid nodules are poorly understood. Our objective is to (1) employ a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to explore risk tradeoffs in thyroid nodule management, and (2) segment respondents into preference phenotypes. Study Design: DCE. Setting: Thyroid surgery clinic, online survey. Methods: A DCE including 5 attributes (cancer risk, voice concerns, incision/scar, medication requirement, follow‐up frequency) was refined with qualitative patient and physician input. A final DCE including 8 choice tasks, demographics, history, and risk tolerance was administered to participants with and without thyroid disease. Analysis was performed with multinomial logit modeling and latent class analysis (LCA) for preference phenotyping. Results: A total of 1026 respondents were included; 480 had thyroid disease. Risk aversion was associated with increasing age (P <.001), female gender (P <.001), and limited education (P =.038), but not previous thyroid disease. Cancer risk most significantly impacted decision‐making. Of the total possible utility change from thyroid nodule decision‐making, 47.8% was attributable to variations in cancer risk; 20.0% from medication management; 14.9% from voice changes; 12.7% from incision/scar; and 4.6% from follow‐up concerns. LCA demonstrated 3 classes with distinct preference phenotypes: the largest group (64.2%) made decisions primarily based on cancer risk; another group (18.2%) chose based on aversion to medication; the smallest group (17.7%) factored in medication and cancer risk evenly. Conclusion: Cancer risk and the need to take medication after thyroid surgery factor into patient decision‐making most heavily when treating thyroid nodules. Distinct preference phenotypes were demonstrated, reinforcing the need for individual preference assessment before the treatment of thyroid disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of a recreational walking environment for the elderly is an essential method for planning intervention in constructing a walking environment. The Stated Preference method, discrete choice model, Spearman correlation analysis, and logistic regression model are used to build the evaluation index system of the leisure walking environment for the elderly and obtain its corresponding weight value. The study also explored the differences in preferences for recreational trails among older adults with different personal characteristics. It found that the Stated Preference method is a well-established method for evaluating the quality of recreational walking environments for older adults. Older walkers have shown a heightened sensitivity to certain factors, such as the degree of street shading, effective sidewalk width, street leveling, traffic volume, street interface openness, percentage of green interface, service facility density, and commercial storefront density. Understanding these sensitivities can help us design more empathetic and age-friendly walking environments. Among them, older adults with poorer health preferred street environment factors with less traffic, higher street leveling, and better service facilities. Quantitatively evaluating the recreational walking environment for the elderly provides a new way of thinking from a behavioral perspective to enhance its sustainability and age-friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Values that accompany generic health measures are typically anchored at 1 = full health and 0 = dead. Some health states may then be considered 'worse than dead' (WTD) and assigned negative values, which causes fundamental measurement problems. In this paper, we challenge the assumption that anchoring values at 'dead = 0' is necessary for quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) estimation. We summarise the role of 'dead' in health state valuation and consider three critical questions: (i) whether the measurement properties of health state values require 'dead'; (ii) whether 'dead' needs to be valued relative to health states; and (iii) whether values for states WTD are meaningful or useful. We conclude that anchoring 0 at dead is not a requirement of health status measurement or cost‐effectiveness analysis. This results from reframing QALYs as the relevant unit of measurement and reframing values as being derived from QALYs rather than the reverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic investigation of the train choice preference heterogeneity of High-Speed Railway (HSR) passengers under market segmentation to understand their train choice comprehensively. A stated preference survey was conducted for the Nanning-Guangzhou Railway and Nanning-Beihai Railway. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was employed to identify homogeneous subgroups and segment the passenger market of each line into three segments: private travelers with a long total duration (PTLTD), business travelers (BT), and private travelers with a short total duration (PTSTD). Mixed Logit (ML) models were constructed for each subgroup sample to assess passengers' preferences in train choice. The results show that each class exhibited unique characteristics and preferences, and train fare and running time, departure date and time, and train frequency were statistically significant factors affecting train choice. This study can furnish theoretical and decisional support for HSR operators to design train operating schemes and flexible fare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the impact of various label information (extrinsic attributes) and sociodemographic and attitudinal factors (intrinsic attributes) on Brazilian consumer choices, using simulated traditional and plant-based muçarela cheese as the model product. The research was conducted in two phases: the first involved a structured questionnaire assessing attitudinal dimensions such as Health Consciousness, Climate Change, Plant-based Diets, and Food Neophobia, along with sociodemographic data collection. The second phase comprised a discrete choice experiment with (n = 52) and without (n = 509) eye tracking. The term "Cheese" on labels increased choice probability by 7.6% in a general survey and 15.1% in an eye tracking study. A prolonged gaze at "Cheese" did not affect choice, while more views of "Plant-based product" slightly raised choice likelihood by 2.5%. Repeatedly revisiting these terms reduced the choice probability by 3.7% for "Cheese" and 1% for "Plant-based product". Nutritional claims like "Source of Vitamins B6 and B12" and "Source of Proteins and Calcium" boosted choice probabilities by 4.97% and 5.69% in the general and 8.4% and 6.9% in the eye-tracking experiment, respectively. Conversely, front-of-package labeling indicating high undesirable nutrient content decreased choice by 13% for magnifying presentations and 15.6% for text. In a plant-based subsample, higher environmental concerns and openness to plant-based diets increased choice probabilities by 5.31% and 5.1%, respectively. These results highlight the complex dynamics between label information, consumer understanding, and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While shared micromobility has been gaining popularity in developed countries, these innovative technologies have yet to penetrate the market of mid-sized cities in developing countries, which make up the overwhelming majority of cities in the world. Shared micromobility includes inexpensive systems that could drive the first wave of electrification in the transportation sector in these regions. We designed and implemented a dynamic stated preference pivoting survey and used a panel data mixed logit model to assess the effect of temperature, precipitation, and availability of bike lanes on the propensity to use bikeshare, e-bike share, and e-moped share, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Using Kathmandu, Nepal, as a case study, where shared micromobility does not currently exist, we also assessed modal shifts from the existing travel modes. We found heavy rain negatively impacts users’ preference for shared micromobility, while users preferred e-moped share during cold temperatures. The effect of bike lane availability was positive but weak on bikeshare and e-bike share. Gender also had an effect on the choice of shared micromobility vehicles – females preferred e-mopeds over other vehicles. Ride-hailing users had a high preference for e-moped share, while introducing bikeshare and e-bike share caused a uniform modal shift among existing travel modes. We recommend that transportation agencies begin micromobility pilot programs by combining this study’s findings with the best practices of existing micromobility programs. We also suggest collecting usage and operations data to empower data-driven decision-making.

The smallest worthwhile effect (SWE) is the smallest beneficial effect of an intervention that justifies the costs, risks, and inconveniences. The objective is to establish the SWE of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for the treatment of low back pain (LBP), and to gain insight into how different attributes of the treatment are traded among each other when choosing SMT. Part 1. A mixed-methods study will be conducted to establish and prioritize a list of attributes influencing choices for those who consider SMT for the treatment of LBP. Individual interviews and consensus groups with chiropractors, manual therapists, and osteopaths and their patients will be conducted. Interviews and consensus groups will be voice-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Part 2. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) will be conducted among people with LBP who have limited to no experience with SMT. Participants will be recruited through an online independent panel company. The survey will consist of several choice sets with attributes and their levels established from Part 1. The DCE will be preceded by a short survey to understand the clinical aspects (i.e. presentation, history and previous treatment for LBP) as well as socio-demographic characteristics of the participants.

AbstractDue to the high emissions produced by the transport sector, one of the most implemented initiatives in developed countries in the last decade is the electrification of the public transport fleet and the private vehicle fleet. The purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles in developing countries is negligible compared to developed countries and little has been indicated about the characteristics of potential buyers of this type of technology. In this paper, we aim to cover this aspect. Chile is a good case to study, as it is an emerging country with the highest level of penetration of electric and hybrid vehicles in the market and with better import scenarios according to the free trade agreements signed with the USA, Europe, and Asia. The results show that the socio-demographic characteristics with the greatest impact on the likelihood of purchasing low-emission vehicles, in the absence of any incentives, are household size, educational level, and gender. Particularly the marginal effects indicate that of the individuals surveyed who belong to a two-person household, they are 9% more likely to choose to buy a low-pollution vehicle compared to single people, and 8.96% less likely to choose a high-pollution vehicle compared to a single person.

The availability and utilization of ride-sourcing services have the potential to transform how people travel. While these services could improve mobility and accessibility, they could also attract users away from active modes and public transit and increase congestion and emissions. Understanding the impacts of transportation network companies (TNCs) on the transportation system is critical to ensure that the benefits of ride-sourcing are captured, and its negative externalities are minimized. This study uses web-based survey data administered to Metro Vancouver residents to explore the characteristics of ride-sourcing trips and the early impacts of ride-sourcing use on mode choice, given that TNCs are new to the study area. Additionally, this study utilizes stated preference experiments and error-components mixed logit models to examine the influence of sociodemographic characteristics and attitudinal factors on mode choice decisions for commuting and non-commuting trips. The results offer insights into the relationship between ride-sourcing and private vehicles, local and regional transit, taxi, and active modes (such as walking and cycling). Furthermore, model results highlight the heterogeneity in mode substitution behavior across population segments. This study can help planners and agencies capitalize on the advantages of TNCs and better integrate ride-sourcing into the transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To pilot an exploration of older adults' future preferences using discrete choice experiments to understand who should provide dental examinations and treatment, where these services should be provided, and participants' willingness to pay and willingness to travel. Background: The proportion of older adults in the general population is increasing and is recognised as a pressing public health challenge. Materials and Methods: Older people aged 65 years and over were recruited into this study from the UK, Switzerland and Greece. Drawing on earlier stakeholder engagement, a set of choice experiments are developed to explore the future preferences of older people for dental examinations and dental treatment, as they anticipated losing their independence. These were presented to the participants using a range of platforms, because of the COVID pandemic. Data were analysed in STATA using a random‐effects logit model. Results: Two hundred and forty‐six participants (median age 70 years) completed the pilot study. There was a strong preference across all countries for a dentist to undertake a dental examination (Greece: β = 0.944, Switzerland: β = 0.260, UK β = 0.791), rather than a medical doctor (Greece: β = −0.556, Switzerland: β = −0.4690, UK: β = −0.468). Participants in Switzerland and the UK preferred these examinations to be undertaken in a dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.220, UK: β = 0.580) while participants in Greece preferred the dental examination to be undertaken in their homes (β = 1.172). Greek participants preferred dental treatment to be undertaken by a specialist (β = 0.365) in their home (β = 0.862), while participants from the UK and Switzerland preferred to avoid any dental treatment at home (Switzerland: β = −0.387; UK: β = −0.444). Willingness to pay analyses highlighted that participants in Switzerland and the UK were willing to pay more to ensure the continuity of future service provision at a family dental practice (Switzerland: β = 0.454, UK: β = 0.695). Conclusion: Discrete choice experiments are valuable for exploring older people's preferences for dental service provision in different countries. Future larger studies should be conducted to further explore the potential of this approach, given the pressing need to design services that are fit for purpose for older people. Continuity of dental service provision is considered as important by most older people, as they anticipate losing their dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. One important consequence has been the change in how people buy groceries online/offline that represent the most frequent shopping-related trip any household performs. Since this has substantially different transport and environmental implications, it is crucial to investigate what are the COVID-19-induced variations. This paper estimates both travel and environmental impacts grocery channel choice implies by comparing, in a diachronic fashion, the pre and during COVID-19 situation in Norway, considering alternative scenarios describing different service configurations for each channel considered. Stated preferences are used to estimate market shares for grocery purchase distinguishing between different channels: in-store, home delivery and click&pick. The robust comparative analysis between the two time periods is guaranteed by the use of the same methodological approach in the same geographical context. Results show that total emissions are lower during the pandemic and adopting a free delivery strategy not only increases home delivery market shares but also produces the lowest level of CO2 emissions regardless of COVID-19. The results obtained are particularly relevant in the "new normal" the world is experiencing both from a public policymaking perspective, when promoting transport-related interventions to curb emissions, and from a private standpoint, when customising market strategies to increase sales and profits. • COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. • Investigating changes in how people buy groceries online/offline is important. • Stated preferences are used to estimate grocery market shares for different channels. • The paper estimates travel and environmental impacts pre and during COVID-19 via scenario analysis. • Results are particularly relevant for both the public and private sector in the "new normal" conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycling is a sustainable transport mode that endorses an active lifestyle. While cycling shows great potential, it is essential for urban planning to consider attributes influencing the choices that cyclists act upon. Cyclists’ route choices have been studied since the Eighties with knowledge being applied in cycling network planning. Yet, the role of cycling as a sustainable transportation mode has been largely absent from travel demand modelling. This paper researches cyclists’ route choice preferences and evaluates the opportunity of incorporating route choice modelling into travel demand modelling to improve the accuracy of cycling route choice. To this end, a route choice framework is developed in which a stated preference survey for data collection is conducted, a multinomial Logit model is applied to the data to identify the factors that significantly influence cyclists’ route choice behaviour. The generated route choice utility models are further integrated into an existing regional travel demand model to evaluate the performance of cyclists’ route choice modelling in the presence of additional factors. Then, the route choice model outputs are validated against two sets of external data. The results show that bike facilities, traffic volume, and trip length are the key factors influencing cyclists’ route choice preferences, and the generated route choice models can be an applicable improvement in incorporating the influences of cyclists’ preferences into travel demand modelling.

With the widespread use of the Internet in everyday life, new businesses have emerged, causing significant changes in the market, while some traditional businesses were marginalized. One of the emerging businesses is taxi-hailing, which has gained popularity among the public. This study examines ten attributes of taxi-hailing and asks individuals about their preferences for these attributes through a questionnaire. Unlike the traditional approach of dealing with discrete choice models, which focuses on choosing the best (most important) alternative only, the role of the worst (least important) alternative is also considered in this type of modelling. The present study utilizes case 1 (out of the three available cases) of this scaling method, called “best-worst”, which focuses on attributes. Each questionnaire includes 12 questions about taxi-hailing attributes, where respondents have to state their preference in selecting the best and the worst ones. The results indicate that security and reassurance are the most crucial attributes when deciding this transportation mode, followed by accessibility. Compliance with health issues and social distancing ranked as the least significant attribute.

Purchasing green products is one of the cornerstones to promote sustainable development since the negative impact of these products is lower than traditional goods. In a Circular Economic (CE) context, green products begin to encompass reconditioned products reintroduced to the production and consumption cycle, such as remanufactured products. Many green products and remanufactured products' features intersect; however, the consumers' perception of these two products is not equal. The present work analyses the consumers' intention to purchase remanufactured products in the Southern Brazil, in a CE context. To that end, 228 consumers from Southern Brazil answered a stated preference questionnaire with different scenarios of remanufactured smartphones with warranty, label and discount. Results indicate that warranty, label, and discount positively impact the consumers' choice towards remanufactured smartphones. Furthermore, results indicate that consumers would be willing to give up more on the discount in order to have a scenario where the remanufactured smartphone has a label and warranty. This study contributes to the literature on consumers' perception and purchase intention towards remanufactured products in emerging economies, which is still scarce. Furthermore, the industry might benefit from this work since understanding what affects consumers' purchase intention may help redirect marketing strategies to increase demand and competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrobiodiversity is associated with a range of important but poorly quantified public good ecosystem services, the conservation of which requires public support. With a view to determining the general public's willingness to pay (WTP) for such conservation, we organised interviews with 491 adult Peruvian residents in three regions a stated preference choice experiment (CE) to elicit the value they place on crop genetic resources conservation, using quinoa cultivation as a case study. Responses revealed strong support for the conservation of quinoa diversity particularly when conservation was framed in terms of conserving national cultural identity or food security. Respondents were willing to make a one-off donation of US$31.79 to an in situ on-farm quinoa crop diversity conservation programme, placing the highest values on programme attributes related to securing bequest/existence and option values, followed closely by stable landscape conservation. WTP was higher when the public was reminded that conservation also contributed to national cultural identify or food security. A conservative aggregation of the WTP estimates to the population of the three regions results in an estimated total WTP for quinoa conservation of US$24.18 m and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.22. Findings demonstrate the significant and frequently ignored social welfare benefits associated with non-market agrobiodiversity-related public good ecosystem services, in this case equivalent to just over a quarter of market production values. Such information can be used to design and prioritise quinoa genetic diversity conservation programmes with an emphasis on such attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boursin is a versatile semisoft cheese that can be made with different types of milk. While widely distributed in the European and North American markets, Boursin is produced to a limited extent in Brazil despite its commercial potential. This scenario encourages consumer‐oriented product development studies by facilitating data collection with less bias and fewer product preconceptions, thus favoring the investigation of technological aspects of commercial interest. This study evaluates Brazilians' perceptions regarding different versions of Boursin cheese, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the factors related to choosing cheese. Four attributes related to cheese production were evaluated at three different levels using two discrete choice experiments: one with eye tracking (n = 20) and another without (n = 312). These attributes included "type of processing" (evaluating pasteurization, ohmic heating, and preparation with raw milk), "animal origin of milk" (cow, goat, or buffalo milk), "type of product" (traditional, light, and lactose‐free versions), and "price" (10.99, 13.99, and 16.99 BRL). Information regarding processing with ohmic heating did not affect the probability of Boursin being chosen, suggesting that consumers are open to using this emerging technology in Boursin cheese. However, information on being made with goat, buffalo, and raw milk negatively impacted the probability of choice, along with the price of 16.99 BRL. The frequency of cheese consumption and the level of health concerns also affected the probability of choosing the product. Practical Application: Identifying the relationship between extrinsic attributes presented on the Boursin cheese label and the consumer's choice process can aid the communication process with the target audience and reveal how some technological issues of interest to manufacturers are perceived. This study indicates how information regarding the animal origin of the milk (cow, goat, and buffalo), the type of processing (pasteurization, ohmic heating, and raw milk), the version of the product (traditional, light, and lactose‐free), and the price affect the consumer choice process. The results provide insights that can be applied to product processing and designing labels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread use of the Internet in everyday life, new businesses have emerged, causing significant changes in the market, while some traditional businesses were marginalized. One of the emerging businesses is taxihailing, which has gained popularity among the public. This study examines ten attributes of taxi-hailing and asks individuals about their preferences for these attributes through a questionnaire. Unlike the traditional approach of dealing with discrete choice models, which focuses on choosing the best (most important) alternative only, the role of the worst (least important) alternative is also considered in this type of modelling. The present study utilizes case 1 (out of the three available cases) of this scaling method, called "best-worst", which focuses on attributes. Each questionnaire includes 12 questions about taxi-hailing attributes, where respondents have to state their preference in selecting the best and the worst ones. The results indicate that security and reassurance are the most crucial attributes when deciding this transportation mode, followed by accessibility. Compliance with health issues and social distancing ranked as the least significant attribute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs), researchers have conducted various studies on the impacts of these vehicles, but limited research is found on the influence of AVs on private car ownership. Since AVs are not well-aligned with sustainable development, shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) would be an appealing alternative. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the impact of socio-economic and travel-related characteristics on private car ownership in the presence of SAVs among private car users in Tehran. After designing a web-based stated preference (SP) questionnaire and analyzing 2154 valid SP responses in 2022, more than a quarter (26%) of the observations are willing to reduce private car ownership level in presence of SAVs. Estimation results of binary logit model reveal that respondents aged 31-35 and 22-25 years old, as compared to other age categories, are more and less, respectively likely to sell their private cars. Further, due to the fact that users of SAVs, unlike private cars, do not need parking space, respondent are more likely to sell their private cars under this condition. Estimated coefficients of attributes considered in the SP scenarios indicate that increasing each of these attributes (travel time, waiting time, travel cost and number of passengers) in SAVs reduce the likelihood of selling a private car. Another important finding is the impact of respondents' experience with internet taxis (taxis ordered via an app on smartphones); those with frequent use or satisfy with this service, are more likely to reduce their car ownership.

This study explored the impact of various label information (extrinsic attributes) and sociodemographic and attitudinal factors (intrinsic attributes) on Brazilian consumer choices, using simulated traditional and plant-based muçarela cheese as the model product. The research was conducted in two phases: the first involved a structured questionnaire assessing attitudinal dimensions such as Health Consciousness, Climate Change, Plant-based Diets, and Food Neophobia, along with sociodemographic data collection. The second phase comprised a discrete choice experiment with (n = 52) and without (n = 509) eye tracking. The term “Cheese” on labels increased choice probability by 7.6% in a general survey and 15.1% in an eye tracking study. A prolonged gaze at “Cheese” did not affect choice, while more views of “Plant-based product” slightly raised choice likelihood by 2.5%. Repeatedly revisiting these terms reduced the choice probability by 3.7% for “Cheese” and 1% for “Plant-based product”. Nutritional claims like “Source of Vitamins B6 and B12” and “Source of Proteins and Calcium” boosted choice probabilities by 4.97% and 5.69% in the general and 8.4% and 6.9% in the eye-tracking experiment, respectively. Conversely, front-of-package labeling indicating high undesirable nutrient content decreased choice by 13% for magnifying presentations and 15.6% for text. In a plant-based subsample, higher environmental concerns and openness to plant-based diets increased choice probabilities by 5.31% and 5.1%, respectively. These results highlight the complex dynamics between label information, consumer understanding, and decision-making.

Governments need tools to analyze trade-offs for freshwater policy, yet valuation estimates from the literature can be difficult to deploy in a policy setting. Obstacles to benefit transfer include (i) difficulties in scaling up local estimates, (ii) water quality attributes that cannot be linked to policy, and (iii) surveys positing large, unrealistic water quality changes. Focusing on freshwater rivers and streams in New Zealand, we develop and implement a nationwide discrete choice stated preference study aimed at future benefit transfer. The stated provision mechanism and environmental commodity being valued are specified at the regional council level, which is the administrative unit for policy implementation. The survey is administered on a national scale with three attributes – nutrients, water clarity, and E. coli levels – which were chosen to align with government policy levers and salience to the public. Estimation results demonstrate positive and significant willingness to pay values for improvements in each attribute, with magnitudes that are comparable to a recent referendum vote on a water quality tax. To illustrate the utility of our study, we apply the results to a recent policy analyzed by New Zealand’s Ministry for the Environment and estimate nationwide annual benefits of NZ $115 million ($77 million USD).

This paper presents a study regarding the factors affecting the maximum distance travelers are willing to walk to a bus stop. The study focuses on bus services provided at and walking routes towards bus stops. Travelers’ evaluations are collected using a stated preference experiment. Based on 7911 evaluations of 879 respondents, a latent class ordered logit model is estimated showing that both bus service and walking route related attributes significantly contribute to the maximum distance travelers are willing to walk from home to a bus stop. The parameter estimates show that the most influential attributes are the bus frequency at the bus stop and the presence of street lighting along the route between home and bus stop. The model also shows that based on the evaluations three different classes of respondents can be distinguished. Membership of a class depends on traveler related characteristics: gender, residential area, and bus use.

This study aims to quantify the preferences of patients with advanced cancer for quality of life (QoL) outcomes versus survival extension in Malaysia. The secondary aim of this study is to explore the change in preferences over time. A discrete choice experiment was developed to include 7 attributes valued in cancer management: physical, psychological and social functioning, pain control, survival, place of death, and cost. Patients were recruited via convenience sampling from 2 Malaysian public hospitals. The survey questionnaire was administered to patients within 6 months of their cancer diagnosis with a follow-up 3 months later. Conditional logit regression was used to estimate the preference weight, relative attribute importance, and willingness to pay. One hundred valid responses were collected at baseline and 45 at follow-up. Respondents placed higher values on QoL improvements from severe to moderate or mild levels and to achieve home death over survival extension from 6 to 18 months. However, additional improvements (from moderate to mild) in some of the QoL outcomes were not valued as highly as life extension from 12 to 18 months, showing that it was vital for patients to avoid being in "severe" health dysfunction. Improving physical dysfunction from severe to mild yielded 3 times as much value as additional 1-year survival. After 3 months, the respondents' preferences changed significantly, with increased relative attribute importance of physical functioning, pain control, and cost. As QoL outcomes are valued more than survival, palliative care should be introduced as early as possible to alleviate suffering related to advanced cancer. • Patients with advanced cancer had substantially higher preference weights for quality-of-life outcomes (physical, psychological and social functioning, minimal pain, and death at home) over an additional 1-year of survival. • Longitudinal analysis of discrete choice experiment showed that patients' preferences change over time, making it imperative to involve them in the decision-making process constantly. • Although access to novel life-extending treatment is indispensable, early integration of palliative and supportive care into cancer care is equally essential to alleviate suffering related to physical dysfunction and pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to an alarming threat of air pollution and climate change, governments around the world are now actively promoting electric vehicles. The case for vehicle electrification is even more important in big cities of developing countries, where motorcycle is a dominant mode of travel. To promote electric motorcycles successfully, we need to understand the factors that would drive the consumer choices when buying a motorcycle. This study chose Bandung in Indonesia as the case study location, where nearly 75% of vehicles are motorcycles. This study conducted a survey of preferences from over 700 residents and included battery charging methods such as plug-in/battery swap at home/office, superfast charging at stations, and deployed an innovative modelling approach constraining the mixture of distributions for monetary attributes. The study found that quick recharge in 10 minutes and battery swap at station are preferred over the base method of plugin at home/work. The battery swap at home has been perceived the same as plug-in home/work and the respondents are indifferent to this option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals' monetary values of decreases in mortality risk depend on the magnitude and timing of the risk reduction. We elicited stated preferences among three time paths of risk reduction yielding the same increase in life expectancy (decreasing risk for the next decade, subtracting a constant from or multiplying risk by a constant in all future years) and willingness to pay (WTP) for risk reductions differing in timing and life-expectancy gain. Respondents exhibited heterogeneous preferences over the alternative time paths, with almost 90 percent reporting transitive orderings. WTP is statistically significantly associated with life-expectancy gain (between about 7 and 28 days) and with respondents' stated preferences over the alternative time paths. Estimated value per statistical life year (VSLY) can differ by time path and averages about $500,000, roughly consistent with conventional estimates obtained by dividing estimated value per statistical life by discounted life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation sector in India faces significant issues, such as congestion and air pollution, and is in dire need of sustainable strategies. Sharing vehicles is one of the popular sustainable strategies. Sharing auto-rickshaws, a paratransit mode, currently informally operating with a significant mode share, offers an opportunity to tackle sustainability issues. There are several challenges to integrating and promoting auto-rickshaw system as shared transportation using a formal structure of policies. The primary reason is a dearth of studies on sharing auto-rickshaws, leading to policymakers lacking knowledge and focus. The present study contributes to the literature to divert focus on sharing auto-rickshaws in India, considering Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as a study area. This study attempts to assess and model the intentions of users and non-users toward auto-rickshaw sharing using stated preference (SP) choice experiments and estimate Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) considering multiple socio-economic heterogeneities. Results highlight that the most critical attributes are travel time reliability and access time among different groups. Importance of having real-time information on trips among females and sharing auto-rickshaw users is high. The study provides a transparent direction toward ensuring efficient and integrated policymaking and guidelines for promoting auto-rickshaw sharing in urban areas of the Indian subcontinent with limited resources. • Perception of users and non-users of sharing auto-rickshaws are compared. • Segmentation analysis is used to assess heterogeneity among different subgroups. • Willingness to pay for the subgroups is estimated by Mixed-logit modeling. • Travel time reliability and Access time are most important for all sub-groups. • Clear direction to promote auto-rickshaw sharing and integrate it into policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars, decision-makers, and pundits have long tossed around words and numbers meant to demarcate those health/safety risks that are too small to matter at all (called, variously, "trivial" or "de minimis" or "insignificant"), or risks that are so large as to be abhorrent ("unacceptable," "intolerable," and the like). But there has been nothing approaching a consensus about how large or small these important probabilities are, and worse, there have been no serious attempts to explore these concepts via any carefully-elicited preferences from laypeople themselves. Perhaps even more concerning, the dominant paradigm—cost-benefit analysis (CBA)—requires balancing of (monetized) risks against the costs of controlling them, but the parallel concepts of de minimis costs and intolerable costs have never been formally considered. As a result of these lapses, all attempts to consider equity or justice in the distribution of how risks and costs are borne are an absurdity, despite claims to the contrary. This article reports on a pair of elicitations involving 1350 laypeople. In one elicitation, a careful set of background and contextual explanations and a structured series of questions probed where each subject perceived lifetime excess mortality risk (from involuntary exposure) to become "so small you would not spend a moment thinking about it," and where it becomes so large that "you would strongly object, as an ethical matter, to ever having to face it." With a separate sample, we asked the parallel questions with regard to regulatory costs imposed by the government in the name of risk reduction. Although there was significant interindividual variation in responses, the central tendency of each of these four science-policy-values "goalposts" was as follows: (1) de minimis risk—a lifetime excess chance of premature death of 1 in 770,000; (2) intolerable risk—1 chance in 570; (3) de minimis cost—$25 per year; and (4) intolerable cost—$775 per year. These results offer, for the first time, a principled and evidence-based starting point for further refinement of which risks or costs to individuals can/should be disregarded in setting policy, and which must dominate policies regardless of how total "monetized lives saved" and total dollar costs compare to each other when viewed simplistically. We offer several prescriptions for how CBA might change, and how environmental/health/safety policy might improve, to take account of these fundamental thresholds in how risks and costs actually impose burdens on citizens. Both those interventions that impose intolerable costs while only reducing diffuse and trivially small risks, and those failures to intervene (sufficiently) that perpetuate intolerable risks for the sake of avoiding trivial and eminently manageable costs, are inefficient, unjust, and are thus unethical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Korea provides a fare-free policy for subways only, there are objections to geographical equity, and the need to expand it to the entire public transportation system is being discussed. However, expanding policy scope in line with an aging society will soon pose sustainability problems. Hence, policy changes, similar to that of countries that provide fare-discount policies for the elderly or apply different discount rates for each travel mode, are needed. However, providing the same policies for all cities may differ from the benefits the target group wants. Thus, this study investigated the preference of the elderly living in major cities in South Korea for discount policies by travel mode. The study aims to provide a strategy for choosing the travel mode that should provide discount policies by combining regional and individual attributes. The latent class model is employed to classify stated preference data collected from the survey. The estimation results show a significant preference heterogeneity depending on the level of subway supply by region, and a policy focused on subways would be more reasonable in cities with sufficient subway infrastructure. In addition, providing additional bus discount policies only for trunk lines will help improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web-based stated preference (SP) surveys are widely used to estimate values of travel time (VTT) for cost–benefit analysis, often with internet panels as the source of recruitment. The recruitment method could potentially bias the results because (1) those who frequently participate in surveys may have a lower opportunity cost of time and (2) people who answer the survey at home or in the office may answer differently because the choice situation is less salient to them. In this paper, we investigate both mechanisms using data from a VTT choice experiment study where respondents were recruited from an internet panel, an alternative email register or on-board/on the station. Within all three groups, some complete the survey while making an actual trip. We find that respondents who were recruited from the internet panel or report being members of a panel have a significantly lower VTT, suggesting that internet panels are less representative in this respect compared to other recruitment methods. We also find that those who answer while traveling have a higher VTT, possibly because the benefits of saving travel time are more salient to them than to those who answer while not traveling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]