Testing the single opt-out reminder in choice experiments: An application to fuel break management in Spain

Cheap talk (CT) scripts have been broadly tested in contingent valuation studies to mitigate the effects of hypothetical bias. However, this approach may not fully be adequate when the individual is faced with several choices such as in discrete choice experiments (DCE) because the respondent may tend to forget about the CT script. This paper tests the effects of a single opt-out reminder (SOOR) to lower the hypothetical bias in a DCE dealing with the valuation of social preferences for forest fire prevention programs in Southern Spain. Results show that the inclusion of a SOOR does not contribute sufficiently to improve the CT effect on the DCE data.