Reluctant respondents and contingent valuation surveys

Using an innovative telephone survey design, this study investigates the possibility that 'reluctant' respondents may give significantly different willingness to pay (WTP) responses in contingent valuation surveys. Two different measures of respondent reluctance are evaluated (interviewer assessed and respondent assessed). Evidence of a reluctant respondent effect is present in an open-ended elicitation format but not in a dichotomous choice elicitation format. Implications for survey design and WTP modelling are discussed.