Estimating an Altruism Adjusted Measure of the Value of a Statistical Life

本研究项目首次对Jones-Lee的“统计生命价值”乘数进行了实证估计，该乘数是个体自身财富对他人生存概率的边际替代率和自身财富对他人财富的边际替代率的函数。如果人们更倾向于“以安全为中心”的利他主义者（即，更关心他人的安全而不是他人的财富），那么传统的效益-成本分析由于忽视了利他主义而低估了生命。相反，如果人们是“以财富为中心”的利他主义者，那么传统的收益-成本分析就高估了生命。这项研究可以极大地促进对“统计”生命的价值如何以及是否需要纳入利他主义关注的认识。为了估计这些乘数，研究人员创建了一个陈述偏好调查，知识网络将对1000多名受访者进行调查。这项调查调查了利他行为与他人的年龄和社会亲近程度（家庭、朋友、同事、熟人、美国和外国陌生人）之间的关系。许多公共政策影响公民的寿命。在对这些政策的监管分析中，收益-成本分析用于估计这些政策的收益是否超过其成本。这就需要对保单所挽救（或延长）的生命的价值进行评估。由于联邦政府要求每年对大量的监管政策进行评估，因此对“统计寿命价值”（VSL）的精确测量具有很大的利害关系，该价值用于衡量与政策相关的死亡率相关的收益或成本。估计VSL的传统方法是使用显性偏好和陈述偏好数据来评估个人对自己生命的价值。目前的VSL估计没有考虑到其他人可能对一个人的生命的价值。因此，一旦将利他主义情绪纳入评估，这些评估可能会低估或高估这个人对所有相关人员的总社会价值。该项目的最终目标是提供证据，证明利他主义情绪在估计VSL时是否可能很重要。如果VSL乘数大大大于1（正如试点研究结果所表明的那样），那么这些结果应该导致政府官员质疑他们评估政策的方法。在收益-成本分析中低估生命可能会对决定法规是否通过收益-成本测试产生重大影响，从而影响采纳或拒绝哪些公共政策。

This research project generates the first empirical estimate of Jones-Lee's "Value of a Statistical Life" multiplier, which is a function of individuals' marginal rate of substitution of own wealth for others' probability of survival and marginal rate of substitution of own wealth for others' wealth. If people are more "safety-focused" altruists (i.e., caring more for others' safety than for others' wealth), then traditional benefit-cost analysis has undervalued life as a result of ignoring altruism. Conversely, if people are more "wealth-focused" altruists, then traditional benefit-cost analysis has overvalued life. This research can greatly advance the knowledge about how and whether the value placed on a "statistical" life needs to incorporate altruistic concerns. To estimate these multipliers, the researchers created a stated-preference survey that Knowledge Networks will administer to over 1,000 survey respondents. The survey investigates altruism as a function of the other person's age and social proximity (family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, U.S. and foreign strangers). Many public policies impact citizens' longivity.In regulatory analyses of these policies, benefit-cost analysts are used to estimate whether the benefits of these policies outweigh their costs. This requires estimation of the value of a life saved (or, alternatively, extended) as a result of the policy. Because the federal government requires numerous regulatory policies to be evaluated each year, it has a large stake in having an accurate measure for the "Value of a Statistical Life" (VSL), the value used to measure the mortality-related benefits or costs associated with a policy. Conventional methods for estimating the VSL have used both revealed- and stated-preference data to evaluate an individual's value of his or her own life. Current VSL estimates do not consider the value that others may place on a person's life. Thus, these estimates may under- or overestimate the total social value of this individual to all concerned people once altruistic sentiments are included in the valuation. The ultimate goal of the project is to produce evidence about whether altruistic sentiments are likely to be important in estimating the VSL. If the VSL multiplier turns out to be substantially greater than one (as suggested by the pilot study results), then these results should cause public officials to question their methods for evaluating policies. Undervaluing a life in benefit-cost analyses could have large consequences in determining whether regulation passes the benefit-cost test, and thus affect what public policies are adopted or rejected.