Choice modelling with search and sort data from an interactive choice experiment

Online choice environments have the potential to provide the analyst with a large amount of data on both the choices individuals make, and the ways they process the choice alternatives. This paper considers a highly structured, online, interactive choice environment that presents individuals with a large number of alternatives, as well as a sort tool and a search tool that eliminates alternatives that do not meet specified criteria. A conceptual framework is developed that considers how an individual might interact with such an environment, and it is proposed that the sort and search tools may provide additional insights into the preference structure of the decision makers. Three specific hypotheses are proposed and these are tested with an empirical study that examines choice of a long-haul flight. Individuals who sort on price are more price sensitive; individuals who search on an attribute have a greater marginal (dis)utility for that attribute; and individuals who perform certain non-price searches have a lesser price disutility. These effects appear to be largely independent of socio-demographic influences. The methodology allows the analyst to uncover a more nuanced view of preference heterogeneity.

• Authors:
  • Collins, A
  • Rose, A
  • Hess, S
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 90th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2011-1-23 to 2011-1-27
• Date: 2011-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: TRB 90th Annual Meeting: January 23-27, 2011, Washington, DC: compendium of papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air transportation; Decision making; Mathematical models; Stated preferences; Travel behavior
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transport costs
• ATRI Terms: Air transport; Decision process; Modelling; Stated preference; Transport costs; Travel behaviour
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01380822
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11-3258
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 11:17AM