The Becker–DeGroot–Marschak method (BDM), named after Gordon M. Becker, Morris H. DeGroot and Jacob Marschak for the 1964 Behavioral Science paper, "Measuring Utility by a Single-Response Sequential Method" is an incentive-compatible procedure used in experimental economics to measure willingness to pay (WTP).[1]
Today there are several variations of the BDM methodology. In one common way, the subject formulates a bid. The bid is compared to a price determined by a random number generator. If the subject's bid is greater than the price, he or she pays the price and receives the item being auctioned. If the subject's bid is lower than the price, he or she pays nothing and receives nothing.
In another common method, the subject is presented with a series of sequentially increasing or random-order monetary amounts. They must decide if they would prefer to have that amount of money or the item at hand. Then, one of these numbers is chosen either specifically by the experimenter or is randomly generated. If the chosen number is less than the amount of money at which the subject stated they would prefer the item, the subject must purchase the item.
There are some theoretical objections to the idea that the BDM is truly incentive-compatible, but it remains widely used.[2] The BDM method is most widely used in experimental economics,[3] but has also been used in the domains of agriculture[4] and marketing.[5]