William B. Clifford

Environmental Worldview and Behavior: Consequences of Dimensionality in a Survey of North Carolinians

This research investigates the potential dimensionality of environmental worldviews using a scale derived from the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP). It delineates the substantive consequences of dimensionality for our understanding of environmental behavior and both demographic and religious correlates of environmentalism. We found that our NEP-based Scale of Worldview contained two distinct dimensions that were differentially predicted by demographic and religious variables. Of particular importance was the relationship of religious fundamentalism to the two subscales thereby highlighting the inherent religious implications of NEP item wording. In general, we found that Worldviews do not contribute substantially to the prediction of Environmental Behavior. Additionally, Worldviews do not allow us to account for demographic differences in the performance of Environmental Behavior. We concluded that environmental worldviews have limited policy implications given the lack of correspondence to behavior but that they remain an important prerequisite to such behavior which is deserving of careful study.

Measurement issues with iterated, continuous/interval contingent valuation data

A useful contingent valuation technique for eliciting estimates of welfare during telephone interviews is the iterated willingness-to-pay question. However, this elicitation method raises at least two important measurement issues: choice of estimation technique and starting-point bias. We acknowledge the potential for starting-point bias and: (1) use a randomly chosen starting point which covers the possible range of willingness to pay; and (2) cease the iteration procedure after a range of willingness to pay is determined. With the resulting continuous/interval data we compare WTP estimates using different econometric techniques (least squares, Tobit and interval data regressions) in order to estimate bias-free WTP. We test for starting-point bias and suggest a correction procedure. We conclude by recommending that future telephone applications of the contingent valuation method should consider the use of the iterated, interval willingness-to-pay question.

Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Research and Extension Programs

The North Carolina Agriculture Survey was designed to estimate the willingness to pay for agricultural research and extension programs. We find that North Carolina households are willing to pay between

Modern and traditional value orientations and fertility behavior: A social demographic study

218 and

Sample bias in contingent valuation: A comparison of the correction methods

401 million for food production programs and between

Willingness to pay for a saltwater recreational fishing license: a comparison of angler groups.

251 and

Residential mobility and living arrangements among the elderly: changing patterns in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

698 million for water quality programs annually. We find evidence of divergent validity and differences in the willingness to pay estimates from the single-bound and multiple-bound data.

Changing Patterns of Retirement Migration Movement between Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas

Modern versus traditional value orientations based on the Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck schema are related to family size preferences and birth control effectiveness. Value orientations are viewed as mediating the relationship between socioeconomic status and the fertility behavior variables. Interviews with a probability sample of women in Lexington, Kentucky, provide the data for testing the hypothesized relationships. The results indicate that both value orientations and socioeconomic status are related to fertility behavior. The inference can be made that value orientations aid in interpreting the relationship between socioeconomic status and fertility behavior but that other status-related variables are operating.

Labor force participation of working mothers and family formation: some further evidence.

Abstract This article compares various methods for correcting contingent valuation aggregate benefits when the sample is known to be biased. A sample is defined as the population, and response rates are simulated on the basis of a measure of salience. The simulated response rates suffer from nonresponse bias and selection bias. Coefficient and benefit estimates that result from weighting and self‐selection correction approaches are compared with the true coefficient and benefit estimates. Our results indicate that at both low and high response rates the standard approach leads to bias, and either correction approach will reduce the bias in coefficient and benefit estimates.

Spousal agreement on the value of children and fertility behavior.

We consider the proposed saltwater recreational fishing license in North Carolina and compare three samples of recreational anglers: fishing club members, commercial license holders without an endorsement to sell, and intercepted anglers. Anglers are faced with a dichotomous choice willingness-to-pay question with multiple follow-ups by telephone and in-person surveys. While support for the saltwater license as a management tool is relatively low, most anglers are willing to purchase a license if it is required for fishing and if the funds are used to improve fishing quality. Fishing club members have the highest willingness to pay among the three groups. Several differences in the determinants of willingness to pay emerge. An estimate of the potential revenue from the fishing license fee is