In this article I review and discuss the use of stated and revealed preference methods in two contexts: the estimation of the value per statistical life (VSL) and the “energy efficiency gap,” namely the slow pace of adoption of energy efficient technologies, even when they make economic sense. I examine whether revealed preference and stated preference studies complement one another in answering basic valuation and policy questions. I conclude that stated preference methods can fill some of the gaps typical of revealed preference approaches. For example, in the VSL context, they can address risk latency, age, and health status questions, and reach populations that are typically not represented in labor markets. Even more important, in stated preference studies, risk attributes can be varied independently from one another across respondents, allowing the analyst to estimate the effect of each of them on the VSL. Stated preference methods also have the potential to explore aspects of energy efficiency decisions (including uncertainty in the energy savings or disruption in the home during renovations) that are not easily observed in revealed preference studies. Estimating discount rates (a key issue in energy efficiency decisions) poses challenges in both revealed and stated preference studies.

中文翻译：

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显性偏好与陈述性偏好：我们从评估和行为中学到了什么？

在本文中，我将回顾和讨论在两种情况下陈述和揭示的优惠方法的使用：每统计生命值（VSL）的估计和“能源效率差距”，即采用节能技术的步伐缓慢，甚至当他们具有经济意义时。我研究了揭示的偏好和陈述的偏好研究是否在回答基本估值和政策问题方面相互补充。我得出结论，陈述的偏好方法可以填补显示的偏好方法的一些典型空白。例如，在VSL环境中，他们可以解决风险潜伏期，年龄和健康状况问题，并覆盖通常在劳动力市场中没有代表的人群。更重要的是，在陈述的偏好研究中，风险属性可以在受访者之间相互独立地变化，分析人员可以估算每个变量对VSL的影响。陈述的偏好方法还具有探索能源效率决策方面的潜力（包括在装修过程中节能的不确定性或房屋装修过程中的不确定性），而这些在揭露的偏好研究中并不容易观察到。估算折现率（能源效率决策中的关键问题）在已公开和陈述的偏好研究中都面临挑战。