What is Choice Modelling? - SurveyEngine GmbH

What is Choice Modelling?
(and what are Choice Experiments?)

Choice Modelling is a scientific methodology used by academics, economists and policy-makers to measure preference. It is regarded as the most scientifically robust method to investigate and understand how choices are made.

Understanding the level and nature of the demand for products or services is as critical for new healthcare treatments as it is for transport planning and environmental policies.

It can answer…

  • How do people trade off the risks of a new health treatment against the benefits?
  • How should future transport in cities be planned for with new mobility options?
  • When my customers buy from me, what aspects of my product and services are influencing them?
Decisions, Decisions
Example Choice Experiment

Choice Experiments

Choice modelling is frequently accompanied by a Choice Experiment when real-world data is weak or non-existent.

This is a systematic and planned experiment, applied to respondents within a survey and used to generate preference data from hypotheticial scenarios.

A short video on creating a choice experiment is here.

Choice Modelling is used in..

  • Major transport and infrastructure projects to predict and plan route choice
  • Non-interventional Clinical Trials to provide real-world evidence as to the adoption and adherence to new treatments.
  • Environmental Policy development to balance the needs of conservationalists, tourism and farming.

Visit the academic publications page for more information on formal uses.

Transport Choice

Recent Developments

Increase in Choice Modelling Papers

There has been a steady increase of in the number of academic papers citing choice modelling past ten years.

Following a recent approval of choice methods in clinical trials by the US Food and Drug Administration we are seeing a shift in focus to more applied use.

Further Choice Modelling Resources

The Apollo analysis packages developed by Stephane Hess and David Palma in R (free to use) . http://www.apollochoicemodelling.com/

The Ngene™ Experimental Design software, developed by Dave Hensher, Andrew Collins, John Rose and Michiel Bliemer (commercial). http://www.choice-metrics.com/

The SurveyEngine Choice Modelling Software developed by Ben White and available on a trial basis.

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