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| William F. Vásquez and Carlos E. de Rezende |
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| ''On the treatment of protest responses induced by perceived corruption in stated preferences studies'' |
| ( 2026, Vol. 0 No.0 ) |
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| Despite the prevalence of protest responses induced by perceived corruption in stated preferences surveys, consensus on how to treat those responses remains elusive. This study proposes a counterfactual approach to mitigate corruption-induced biases in willingness-to-pay estimates. Specifically, we present a debiasing prompt that asks protesters to reconsider their choice within a hypothetical context of institutional transparency. Using these modified protest responses, we provide willingness-to-pay estimates relatively free from protest bias. Applying this method to a contingent valuation study of cultural property in Brazil, we find a median willingness-to-pay 80% higher than the baseline. This suggests that standard valuation methods may undervalue public goods in contexts of high perceived corruption. |
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| Keywords: Protest responses; perceived corruption; willingness to pay; contingent valuation; stated preferences. |
JEL: H4 - Publicly Provided Goods: General
D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making: General |
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| Manuscript Received : Mar 11 2026 | | Manuscript Accepted : Jul 14 2026 |
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