Development of a Theory of Values and Their Measurement

价值理论及其测量将在两种不同类型的价值观的基础上发展：受保护的价值观与行为良好的价值观，以及基本价值观与代理价值观。 与行为良好的价值观相比，受保护的价值观抵制与其他价值观的权衡，关注手段而不是目的。 例如，有些人认为砍伐森林对物种的破坏应该不惜任何代价加以制止。 代理价值观是基本价值观的替代品，它们通过信念（通常是不确定的）与之相关。 例如，接种疫苗的儿童百分比是疾病预防的代表，它与疫苗有效性的信念有关。 这些区别可以帮助我们理解环境设施和政府政策的价值计量不一致。 两种类型的不一致涉及对数量的不敏感性（例如，在给属性分配相对权重时对范围不敏感，在或有估价中对数量不敏感），以及导致通过不同手段实现的相同结果的不同估价的无关原则（例如，在或有估值中使用成本而不是收益，遗漏偏见）。 关于这些不一致的来源的假设将通过检查以下因素的影响进行检验：基本值与代理值;与基本值相关的代理信息;使受试者的方法与其目的一致的测量任务的操作;以及这些操作的组合。 还将确定两项措施中每一项措施的一致性是否会增加它们之间的一致性。该项目得到了EPA/NSF环境政策评估资助机会的支持。

A theory of values and their measurement will be developed on the basis of two distinctions among types of values: protected values vs. well-behaved values, and fundamental vs. proxy values. Protected values, in contrast to well behaved values, resist tradeoffs with other values and concern means rather than ends. For example, some people think that destruction of species by logging should be stopped at any cost. Proxy values are stand-ins for fundamental values, to which they are related through beliefs (often uncertain). For example, percent of children vaccinated is a proxy for disease prevention, to which it is related by beliefs about vaccine effectiveness. These distinctions can help us understand inconsistency in measurement of values for environmental amenities and government policies. Two types of inconsistency involve insensitivity to quantity (e.g., insensitivity to range in assigning relative weights to attributes, quantity insensitivity in contingent valuation), and nonconsequential principles that lead to different valuations of identical outcomes achieved by different means (e.g., use of cost rather than benefit in contingent valuation, omission bias). Hypotheses regarding the sources of these inconsistencies will be tested by examining the effects of: fundamental vs. proxy values; information relating proxy to fundamental values; manipulations of the measurement task to bring subjects' approach in line with its purpose; and combinations of these manipulations. It will also be determined whether increased consistency within each of two measures will increase agreement between them. This project is supported by the EPA/NSF Valuation for Environmental Policy funding opportunity.