Species vary in the ease with which they can solve apparently similar problems. For instance, problems will be interpreted differently by different species due to differences such as how they process the world or their ecology. The latter is the focus of the ecological approach to cognition, which posits that ecology influences decision-making such that each species performs better on tasks that are naturally relevant to them. In a previous work, my colleagues and I compared the performance of cleaner fish and nonhuman primates, which differ substantially in brain size and ecology, on a dichotomous choice task derived from the cleaner fish ecology. In the task, subjects chose between two different plates, each containing a same food; if they chose the food from plate A, they could then choose the food from plate B as well, whereas if they chose B first, A was no longer available. Fish were better than primates at solving this task, emphasizing the role of ecology in shaping one species’ decision-making. For my dissertation project, I explored possible explanations for the primates’ poor performance in the task. In a first series of studies, I investigated the possibility that species differed in the task because of differences in the capacity to recognize the relevant cues (i.e. the plate design), to solve it. I thus repeated the task with fish and nonhuman primates, using variations designed to be more salient to primates. In a first experiment, the foods were different colors, whereas in a second experiment, they were hidden to avoid the prepotent response. In a second series of studies, I tested monkeys in a computerized paradigm that differed from the plate task by removing interaction with the human experimenter, which may be distracting, and providing a more standardized testing environment. Finally, in a last study, I investigated one possible cognitive limitation to the primates in the plate task, the failure to use backwards induction to solve it. These studies allowed me to investigate the role of ecology in species’ decision-making, a perspective that is often neglected in studies of cognition.

文化公共財無法透過一般市場機制評估其價格，但應如何衡量其經濟價值？本研究以臺北市萬華區糖廍文化園區為案例，以條件評估法為理論模型，並以電話訪問、網路調查及面訪訪問等3種方式獲得1,612份問卷進行分析，結果顯示願付價格會隨著人口統計變量和民眾對文化資產保存的態度而有所不同，得到平均每人每次至少消費文化公共財之願付價格約247元，如以每人平均消費一次計算價值，在95%信賴區間下，臺北市萬華區糖廍公園週邊7里約1,094萬元、臺北市萬華區約4,788萬元、臺北市約6.7億元。在目前政府財政困窘情況下，如何將上開數據轉化成地方財源收入，有效將各古蹟或歷史建築充分活化再利用將是一個值得關注的議題。 / By using the contingent valuation method, this study estimates the value of the Tangbu Cultural Park in Taipei City as the value of cultural public goods cannot be directly observed through the markets. Based on 1,612 samples collected by the phone interview, on-site interview, and internet survey, we explore the factors that influence the willingness to pay (WTP) and estimate the resulting WTP on the cultural public goods. The empirical results show that the WTP are varied with the demographics and attitudes toward the cultural assets and the estimated average individual WTP per year is about 247 NTD. It turns out that the corresponding total WTP per year is 10.94 million NTD in the surrounding area of the Cultural Park, 47.88 million NTD in the Wanhua District of Taipei City, or 670 million NTD in Taipei City. The study can shed some light on the revival plans and budget arrangements of the cultural public goods.

We estimate the willingness-to-pay for conserving crop diversity in the Czech Republic. Discrete choice experiments are used to elicit preferences for the conservation of wine, hop, and fruit tree varieties, while a double-bounded dichotomous choice approach is used to elicit preferences for the conservation of unspecified, "general" crop diversity. The WTP values are derived for both of these contingent products from a sample representative of the general Czech population (n=731) and a sample of respondents living in the South Moravian region that is characterized by agriculture and wine production (n=418). We demonstrate a strong preference for conserving fruit trees over hops and wine varieties, and derive positive mean WTP of the general Czech population (ages 18-69) of 56 Kč ($2.26). Mean WTP for the conservation of general crop diversity is 167 Kč ($6.80). On average, residents of South Moravia have a greater WTP for "general" crop as well as fruit tree conservation. In total, the Czech adult population (ages 18-69) has an aggregate WTP of ~1.25 billion Kč ($50.5 million) for the conservation of general crop diversity, and ~410 million Kč ($16.8 million) for the conservation of fruit trees, revealing the previously unmeasured social welfare benefits of these activities. The estimated benefits...

近年來在運用雙界二分選擇法(double-bounded dichotomous choice elicitation method)來估計受訪者願付價格(willingness to pay)的研究中，不再僅局限於單一非市場財貨的探討。這類型的模型中雖然納入了相關性的考量，但並未考慮財貨的願付價格間可能存在明確的大小關係。再者，針對抗議性樣本，以往的作法多半是丟棄不用，然而這顯然不是理想的作法。本文中，我們將建構一個模型來同時探討這兩項議題。此外我們也利用「竹東及朴子地區心臟血管疾病長期追蹤研究」第五循環中「肥胖之願付價格」的資料來進行實證分析。結果顯示，居住於竹東、有工作、曾以特定活動控制體重的受訪者願意支付較高的金額來參加減肥療程。 / Recent studies on estimating WTP prices in terms of the double-bounded dichotomous choice elicitation method are no longer restricted to the situations that discuss only one non-market good. Although a couple of models have been proposed to take the correlations into consideration when multiple scenarios are presented to the respondents, none of them pay attention to the possibilities that the prices themselves might be inherently ordered. This is one of the issues that need to be addressed. Another is about the protest samples. A common but apparently problematic approach is simply ignoring them completely. In this study, we propose a model that is able to take care of both issues simultaneously. In addition, the model is used to estimate WTP values for data collected in CVDFACTS about two weight loss treatments. The results indicate that respondents residing in Chu-Dong County, employed, and ever tried any weight controlled programs are willing to pay a higher price for the new treatments.

利用條件評估法 (contingent valuation method) 來評估非市場財貨之市場隱含價值時，雙界二分選擇法 (doubled-bound dichotomous choice method) 為最普遍的詢價方式。近年來，藉由此詢價方式來估計受訪者心目中的願付價值 (willingness to pay) 之研究中，更將此方法推廣至同時估計兩個以上且具有相關性的非市場財貨。只是文獻中的相關探討多半忽略其間的相關性，此外所採用的模型也有可能導致估計的願付價值會有小於零的情形產生。因此，本文引進了衍生版本的Bivariate Generalized Gamma Distribution，來解決這上述兩個問題。我們並採用「竹東及朴子地區心臟血管疾病之危險因子長期追□研究」中，第五循環的「肥胖之願付價格問卷」來作實證分析。在其餘的條件不變的情況下，分析結果顯示，居住在竹東、女性、教育程度愈高、年紀愈小、體重愈重及收入愈高的受訪者會願意支付較高的金額來接受減肥的療程；此外，認為肥胖會影響工作及社交關係的受訪者也會願意支付較高的金額。 / In a contingent valuation survey, it is quite often that subjects were asked to respond to more than one WTP (willingness-to-pay) scenarios. Under such a circumstance, responses provided by a subject are clearly correlated. Although the issue is well recognized in the past, in practice a popular strategy in analyzing this sort of data, however, simply ignore the issue and treat them as if they were totally uncorrelated. Concerning that WTP prices can take only non-negative values along with the issue of possible correlation, we propose an “extend bivariate generalized gamma distribution” that can be used to deal with data collected under a two-scenario situation. Applying it to the CVDFACTS study, where subjects were asked to evaluate a medication-only program as well as a medication-and-exercise program, we found that, other things being equal, female subjects, subjects residing in Chu-Dung County, subjects weigh more, subjects with younger age, higher income, and more years of schooling are willing to pay more. In addition, those who think obesity would affect their social activities would also have higher WTP prices.

由於社會變遷迅速，文化資產保存工作，無論在有形或無形資產方面均面臨了嚴苛的挑戰。許多為保存歷史建物、遺址、文物或技藝之民間組織或政府文化機構無不極力爭取以獲得必要的經費資源，以防止文化資產的快速流逝。近年來政府對文化資源的投入程度受到廣泛關注，在財政緊縮下，政府削減各項支出中有關文化設施之補助，或限縮地方政府的文化預算，引起各界對文化預算資源配置問題的熱烈討論，導致以經濟觀點衡量文化產出或文化設施之評價日顯重要。在俱歷史性之藝術或文化資源領域，由於其價值無法快速藉由市場價格機制訂出來，衡量文化政策之最適資源投資一直引起激烈爭議，在各部會資源競爭之下，為了獲得足夠的預算分配，政府各部門必須彰顯其對整體經濟效益之貢獻，因此近年來越來越多研究針對非市場財貨之公共投資進行經濟效益評估。調查民眾對文化公共財的願付價格，除可顯示民眾對文化公共財偏好強度以進行成本效益分析外，亦可作為該文化機構自行籌措財源擬訂定價策略之參考，並可提供政府當局財政配置及公共投資之依據，本篇研究將以非市場財貨評估中之條件評估法，以文建會所屬文化機構國立傳統藝術中心為例，求算民眾對該機構之願付價格。 / 實證結果，在估計參數值部份，發現文化資產保存重要性認同度、文化資產遺贈價值認同度、文化資產預算擴編認同度、年齡、文化產業消費頻率等變數，對受訪者的支付意願均有顯著影響；第一階段與第二階段的詢價金額係數估計值為負並且顯著，表示當詢價金額提升時，受訪者會傾向於不願意支付。在單界二元選擇問答下，Logit模型估算其值為181.56元，Probit模型估算其值為199.12元，在95％信心水準下區間估計值Logit模型其值為191.56元到171.56元之間，Probit模型其值為205.90元到192.34元之間；在雙界二元選擇問答下以Bivariabe Probit 估算結果得到第一次詢價的願付價格為145.69元，第二次詢價的願付價格為218.42 元，實證結果單界與雙界二元選擇模型願付價格差異不大。 / Nowadays, historic building, monument, and artifacts, facing difficult issue of damaging, are quickly dying away. Agencies and organizations whose mission is to protect and preserve historic and culturally important building, monument, and artifacts from the ravages of weather, pollution, development, and even use by the general public must compete urgently for needed resources. Government funding of the cultural arts has received considerable attention in recent years. Efforts to cut funding to the national endowment for the culture and declining budgets for public cultural organizations and art institution have raised questions about how much individuals value the culture and arts. Measuring the economic value of particular arts policies or public cultural organizations is difficult and important. The hard case for measuring economic value of cultural resources is that they are not captured readily by market prices. The appropriate resources to be allocated in public cultural or art institutions often get heated and considerable debate. Valuing the willingness to pay for cultural public goods, not only can be applied for measuring economic value to be used in benefit-cost analysis of public project, but also more efficient in the selection of investment program if the total value（use value and non-use value）can be estimated. The purpose of this study is using one of the non-market goods valuation method, contingent valuation method, to elicit a willingness to pay from individual for hypothetical changes in some situation, further more to value the use value and non-use value of the“National Center for Traditional Art ”. / The variables such as the IMPO,BEQU, BUDG, AGE, FRE1, have a significant positive effect on the WTP for a cultural public good valuing. The table broadly indicates that as the bid level is increased, the number of willing to pay the amount decreased. The empirical results show that under the single-bounded dichotomous choice model, the estimated WTP for Logit model is NT$181.56 and for Probit model is NT$199.12. Under the 95％ confidence, for Logit mode the estimated WTP is between NT $191.56 and NT $171.56, and for Probit model is between NT $205.90 and NT $192.34. Under the double-bounded dichotomous choice model, Bivariate Probit model was adopted to estimate the WTP. The first-estimated WTP is NT $145.69, and second-estimated WTP is NT $218.42. The estimated WTP under double bounded dichotomous choice model is not much different from the estimated WTP under single bounded dichotomous choice model.

假設市場評價法（Contingent valuation）多用於評估有關某一非市場性財產（Non-market goods）或公共財（Public goods）在民眾心目中的願付價值（Willingness to pay, WTP）。探討受訪者願付價值之研究調查案的問卷設計方式，大致可分成五種，其中開放式出價法和逐步競價法已被證實會對估計造成偏誤，而支付卡法、二分選擇法和雙界二分選擇法則是現今較常為研究者所使用的價格詢問方法，本論文的研究是針對二分選擇法的最佳設計（Optimal design），作一深入的探討。 假設欲探究之母體的願付價值為一服從平均數為 、標準差為 的常態分配，若採用二分選擇法作為價格詢問的方式，則何種詢問方法才能讓參數估計最佳化，由模擬實驗的結果，我們知道若將受訪者隨機等分成兩群，分別詢問兩個不同的價格，且這兩個價格的平均等於預先猜測的母體平均數，那麼不但會有相當不錯的估計結果，在實際的執行上亦較方便。此外，我們提出較容易計算的參數估計量來代替傳統的最大概似估計量（MLE），並以數理證明保證了新的參數估計量有良好的估計性質。 願付價值的研究若對母體資訊不充分時，常會先採行前測（Pretest）。本論文除了探討二分選擇法的最佳設計之外，亦針對支付卡法和二分選擇法運用在前測時，作一深入的討論，結果發現當事先猜測的母體分配參數和真實分配相差很多下，支付卡法和二分選擇法會產生無法估計的情況，因此我們提出新的前測方法，試圖彌補這兩種傳統前測法的不足，我們稱之為序列詢問法（Sequence method）。序列詢問法為一種追蹤母體平均數的方式，依照現在這位受訪者的回答，決定下一位受訪者的詢問價格，在我們的研究中發現，如此的序列詢問方法比傳統的前測法利用更少的資訊，但仍然維持不錯的母體平均數估計結果。