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Using Willingness to Pay Studies to Value Cultural Goods

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Measuring the Value of Culture

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Abstract

Now that the theoretical basis for willingness to pay studies and some examples from cultural economics have been discussed, this chapter sets out to examine the more practical issues involved in designing such a study. In particular, how to design a questionnaire that will minimize the various forms of bias that willingness to pay studies are prone to, is explored, like the information bias and starting point bias. Validity tests and detection of problems like “protest zeros” and “warm glow” responses are also included. An example of a willingness to pay questionnaire from a study conducted at the South African National Arts Festival in Grahamstown is examined and can be found in the appendix to this chapter.

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(2008). Using Willingness to Pay Studies to Value Cultural Goods. In: Measuring the Value of Culture. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74360-6_6

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