VAL
VAL
VAL
Háskóli Íslands
Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, prófessor og ábyrgðarmaður rannsóknarinnar

About the study

The aim of the study is to advance knowledge of human behavior and decision making.

The study is called VAL, which is the Icelandic word for choice.

The study is led by researchers at the University of Iceland in collaboration with an international group of researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Economics in Germany, the University of Warsaw in Poland and Harvard University in the United States.

The Social Science Research Institute at the University of Iceland carries out the data collection.

The principal investigator is Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, professor at the University of Iceland.

The study has received a grant from the Icelandic Research Fund (grant no. 2410236). It has also received financial support from the City of Reykjavik, the Public Transport Authority for the Capital Area (Strætó) and Katla Fitness.

The study can be completed in Icelandic, English or Polish.

Participation takes place in the online study interface and can take up to 45 minutes. Participation may involve the following elements. Some participants answer all of them, others only some:

  • Questions about background, attitudes and habits.
  • A spinning wheel through which participants may be offered the opportunity to purchase one pass for a service to which they do not already subscribe (a bus pass from Strætó, a gym pass from Katla Fitness, the Reykjavik Culture Card, or a swimming-pool pass from the City of Reykjavik). Participants choose the pass they would most like, state the highest price they are willing to pay, and one price is drawn at random. No other pass is offered later during their participation.
  • Questions in which a choice is made between different cash payments. Some participants receive a payment, up to ISK 15,000. Whether a payment is made, and how large it is, depends on the participant’s choices in the questions and on random selection.
  • Each participant has 24 hours to complete the study. The countdown starts when the participant logs in with their electronic ID. Within those 24 hours, participants can close the study interface at any time and log in again with their electronic ID to continue. After that time, access closes and further participation is not possible.
  • Only participants who complete the study within those 24 hours are eligible for a cash payment.
  • It is generally not possible to go back in the study interface. It is therefore important to consider your answers carefully before continuing, particularly since discounts and payments may depend on choices between different options in the study.

Participants may be contacted later and invited to participate in follow-up studies. Although we value continued participation highly, it is always voluntary, and the decision has no effect on this study.

PLEASE NOTE: The study involves a spinning wheel and random selection. For people with a gambling addiction this may resemble gambling and may act as a trigger. Anyone who has struggled with or is struggling with gambling addiction should bear this in mind before deciding whether to participate. The SÁÁ gambling problem team provides assistance with gambling problems: spilavandi@saa.is or telephone +354 530 7600.

The person responsible and principal investigator is Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, professor at the University of Iceland. The data controller for the processing of personal data is the University of Iceland.

Questions about the study and participation in it may be directed to the research team at rannsoknin.val@hi.is or to the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Iceland by calling +354 525 4545. The Social Science Research Institute carries out the data collection.

Questions about data protection can be directed to the Data Protection Officer of the University of Iceland, Magnús Jökull Sigurjónsson: mjs@hi.is or telephone +354 525 4052.

Participate