Abstract

People routinely make choices among options characterized by environmental, utilitarian, and/or hedonic (i.e., enjoyable) dimensions (or attributes). Familiar examples include a choice between paper and plastic (bags), biking versus driving to work, buying a hybrid car or a sports car, buying the chocolate that promises to donate 15% to protect the rain forests or the one that tastes a little better, and going to a recycling center versus conveniently putting in the garbage. Despite the prevalence of such choices, so far such decisions have received only limited attention from decision making researchers, economists, and environment studies researchers. Even in areas that are related to environmental issues, most research has focused, for example, on consumer valuation of public, environmental goods, and in particular, the use and limitations of the contingent valuation method [1].