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

这个研究项目产生了琼斯-李的“统计生命价值”乘数的第一个经验估计，这是一个函数的个人的边际替代率自己的财富为他人的生存概率和边际替代率自己的财富为他人的财富。如果人们是更“注重安全”的利他主义者（即，更关心他人的安全，而不是他人的财富），那么传统的收益-成本分析由于忽视利他主义而低估了生命的价值。相反，如果人们更“注重财富”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推进关于如何以及是否需要将利他主义考虑纳入“统计”生活的价值的知识。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1,000多名调查受访者进行管理。这项调查调查了利他主义与他人年龄和社会接近程度（家人、朋友、同事、熟人、美国和外国陌生人）的关系。许多公共政策影响着公民的寿命，在对这些政策的监管分析中，收益-成本分析师被用来评估这些政策的收益是否超过其成本。这就需要估计由于保险单而挽救（或延长）的生命的价值。由于联邦政府每年都需要对大量的监管政策进行评估，因此准确衡量“统计生命价值”（VSL）对它有很大的利害关系，该价值用于衡量与政策相关的死亡率相关的收益或成本。传统的方法来估计VSL使用显示和陈述的偏好数据来评估一个人的价值，他或她自己的生活。目前的VSL估计没有考虑其他人可能对一个人的生命的价值。因此，一旦利他主义情绪被纳入评估，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是否可能在估计VSL中很重要。如果VSL乘数大大大于1（如试点研究结果所示），那么这些结果应使公职人员质疑其评估政策的方法。在效益-成本分析中低估生命价值可能会对确定监管是否通过效益-成本测试产生重大影响，从而影响公共政策的采纳或否决。

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.