Article ID: | iaor20141327 |
Volume: | 56 |
Issue: | 12 |
Start Page Number: | 36 |
End Page Number: | 45 |
Publication Date: | Sep 2013 |
Journal: | Transportation Research Part E |
Authors: | Rose John M, Hess Stephane, Collins Andrew T |
Keywords: | e-commerce |
We present a highly structured, online, interactive choice environment containing a large number of alternatives, a search tool that eliminates alternatives that fail specified criteria, and a sort tool. A conceptual framework is developed that links tool usage and preference heterogeneity, and tested in the context of long‐haul flight choice. Individuals who sort on price are more price sensitive; individuals who search on certain attributes have a greater marginal (dis)utility for that attribute; and individuals who perform certain non‐price searches have a lesser price disutility. The method shows promise as a means for providing a richer picture of preference heterogeneity.