Two recent studies have shown that "cheap talk" is an effective means of eliminating positive hypothetical bias in experimental and field-auction settings. We further investigate the ability of cheap talk to mitigate positive hypothetical bias in a CVM phone survey administered to over 4,000...

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/28/04.

We present a theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between anchoring bias, hypothetical bias, and cheap talk in constructed markets. In our theory, interviewers provide agents with signals such as cheap talk and bid values while eliciting the value for nonmarket goods. In...