WHAT'S TO KNOW? PUZZLES IN THE LITERATURE ON THE VALUE OF STATISTICAL LIFE
梳理了统计生命价值（VSL）估计在政策评估中面临的三个未解难题：揭示偏好与陈述偏好研究结果不一致、元分析外推的经济学基础不足、以及政府机构在研究方法选择上缺乏明确理由。
Abstract Notwithstanding the general acceptance of the value of statistical life (VSL) estimates for policy assessment purposes, several important unresolved issues remain. First, the results from revealed preference studies are systematically higher than those from stated preference studies, potentially limiting the usefulness of stated preference studies in generalizing the VSL estimates to different populations and kinds of risks. Second, extrapolating the results of meta‐analyses to project the VSL for different population groups requires that such generalization be reflective of the underlying economic content of what average VSL estimates reflect. Third, government agencies within and across countries place differing emphasis on types of VSL studies as well as differing reliance on individual studies versus meta‐analyses. Usually, there is no justification provided for the chosen approach.