Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast

Random regret minimization (RRM) interpretations of discrete choices are growing in popularity as a complementary modeling paradigm to random utility maximization (RUM). While behaviorally very appealing in the sense of accommodating the regret of not choosing the best alternative, studies to date s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hensher, D., Greene, William, Ho, C.
Format: Journal Article
Published: ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/51353
_version_ 1848758676749287424
author Hensher, D.
Greene, William
Ho, C.
author_facet Hensher, D.
Greene, William
Ho, C.
author_sort Hensher, D.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Random regret minimization (RRM) interpretations of discrete choices are growing in popularity as a complementary modeling paradigm to random utility maximization (RUM). While behaviorally very appealing in the sense of accommodating the regret of not choosing the best alternative, studies to date suggest that the differences in willingness to pay estimates, choice elasticities, and choice probabilities compared to RUM are small. However, the evidence is largely based on a simple multinomial logit (MNL) form of the RRM model. This paper revisits this behavioral contrast and moves beyond the multinomial logit model to incorporate random parameters, revealing the presence of preference heterogeneity. The important contribution of this paper is to see if the extension of RRM-MNL to RRM-mixed logit in passenger mode choice widens the behavioral differences between RUM and RRM. The current paper has identified a statistically richer improvement in fit of mixed logit compared to multinomial logit under RRM (and RUM) but found small differences overall between the empirical outputs of RUM and RRM, with no basis of an improved model fit between these two nonnested model forms. The inclusion of both model forms should continue to inform the likely range of behavioral outputs during investigation of a broader range of process heuristics designed to capture real world behavioral response.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T09:47:47Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-51353
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T09:47:47Z
publishDate 2016
publisher ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-513532018-03-29T09:08:25Z Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast Hensher, D. Greene, William Ho, C. Random regret minimization (RRM) interpretations of discrete choices are growing in popularity as a complementary modeling paradigm to random utility maximization (RUM). While behaviorally very appealing in the sense of accommodating the regret of not choosing the best alternative, studies to date suggest that the differences in willingness to pay estimates, choice elasticities, and choice probabilities compared to RUM are small. However, the evidence is largely based on a simple multinomial logit (MNL) form of the RRM model. This paper revisits this behavioral contrast and moves beyond the multinomial logit model to incorporate random parameters, revealing the presence of preference heterogeneity. The important contribution of this paper is to see if the extension of RRM-MNL to RRM-mixed logit in passenger mode choice widens the behavioral differences between RUM and RRM. The current paper has identified a statistically richer improvement in fit of mixed logit compared to multinomial logit under RRM (and RUM) but found small differences overall between the empirical outputs of RUM and RRM, with no basis of an improved model fit between these two nonnested model forms. The inclusion of both model forms should continue to inform the likely range of behavioral outputs during investigation of a broader range of process heuristics designed to capture real world behavioral response. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/51353 10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000827 ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS restricted
spellingShingle Hensher, D.
Greene, William
Ho, C.
Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title_full Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title_fullStr Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title_full_unstemmed Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title_short Random Regret Minimization and Random Utility Maximization in the Presence of Preference Heterogeneity: An Empirical Contrast
title_sort random regret minimization and random utility maximization in the presence of preference heterogeneity: an empirical contrast
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/51353