Priced Survey Methodology

The Priced Survey Methodology (PSM) proposes a novel approach to surveys that overcomes several limitations of traditional survey methods:

• Key design feature: 

  • The PSM's design draws inspiration from consumption choice experiments, as respondents fill out the same survey multiple times. However, each time they have different options. 

Here is an example drawing a PSM with two questions on a 0-10 Likert scale. There are 10 different choice sets. Each colored line is a choice set. Each dot is a possible choice within a choice set. 

• As shown in Seror (2024), the Generalized Axiom of Revealed Preferences is necessary and sufficient for the existence of a concave, continuous, and single-peaked utility function rationalizing answers to the PSM. One key implication: it is possible to measure a respondent's ideal answer to a survey using only ordinal relations between possible answers. 

• Ongoing research on the PSM:

• The Priced Survey Methodology: Theory, January 2024

  • Under Review. The paper sets the theoretical foundations of the PSM, and presents a pilot in a sample of online participants.

• Attitudes as Assets, with Daniel Chen, Sultan Mehmood and Shaheen Naseer

  • In the process of revision. We collected new PSM data, which we currently study. 

• Happiness and Duty: A Cross-Cultural Analysis via the Priced Survey Methodology, with Anthony Lepinteur. 

  • The objective of this research is to measure preferences over personal happiness and fulfillment of social expectations. The PSM Data will be collected in February 2024 through Qualtrics. 

• Parenting Styles and Social Cohesion, with Christina Felfe (ERC Consolidator Grant Recipient)

  • The main objective of this project is to measure the influence of parenting styles on the transmission of in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination in a large field experiment. Preferences over parenting styles will be measured through the PSM. Current stage: Pilot deployed in the field in Germany in February 2024.