Introduction
Sometimes it makes sense to combine similar attributes into a single row to make your concepts easier to read. Merged attributes help simplify the display without changing how your design works during utility estimation.
Merged attributes
Examples
Let’s look at two examples to see when and how merged attributes can be helpful.
Example 1: Combining price attributes for different modes
When nested attributes are used, some attributes may appear blank because they don’t apply to certain concepts.
For example, a transportation exercise might include two attributes related to cost:
| Attributes | Levels |
|---|---|
| Subway/bus price | $2.90 |
| $3.10 | |
| $3.50 | |
| Rideshare price | $10 |
| $15 | |
| $20 |
Only one of these applies in each concept, but both describe the same kind of information.
To simplify the display, merge these attributes into one group labeled Price.
Each concept will now display a single Price line with the applicable value, rather than leaving a blank for the unused attribute.
Example 2: Simplifying similar yes/no features
In this example, the exercise compares printer options using the following attributes:
| Attributes | Levels |
|---|---|
| Brand | Canon |
| HP | |
| Cloud printing | Yes |
| No | |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| No | |
| Double-sided printing | Yes |
| No | |
| Quiet mode | Yes |
| No | |
| Price | $150 |
| $200 | |
| $250 |
While this design is probably ideal for utility estimation (each feature can be present or absent independently of the others), as the number of attributes and levels grows, the information can take up a lot of vertical space on the respondent’s screen.
One option to condense the view of the concepts is to merge Cloud printing, Touch screen, Double-sided printing, and Quiet mode into a single display row labeled Features.
To set this up:
- Edit the levels for each of the four attributes:
• Change Yes to the attribute name (for example, Touch screen).
• Change No to blank. - Create a group labeled Features and select those four attributes to include.
Each concept will now show a single Features row listing the included features, instead of multiple Yes/No lines.
Creating merged groups
- Input all attributes and levels.
- Navigate to the exercise's settings area.
- Next to Merged attributes, click Manage.
- In the modal, click + Group.
- In the card that appears, select the attributes you want to combine.
• Example 1: Cloud printing, Touch screen, Double-sided printing, and Quiet mode.
• Example 2: Subway/bus price and Rideshare price. - Enter a Group label (for example, Features or Price).
- Choose where to show the new group using Show group in place of.
- Select a formatting option (either Separate lines or Bulleted list).
Settings
Show group in place of
When a new group replaces two or more attributes, you need to choose where the group should appear.
If the merged attributes are consecutive, position doesn’t matter; they’ll appear in the same location either way.
If the attributes are non-consecutive, choose the one whose placement best matches your intended layout.
Example attribute order:
- Mode of transportation
- Pick-up frequency
- Travel time
- Subway/bus price
- Congestion fee
- Rideshare price
If you merge Subway/bus price and Rideshare price into Price, and you want the group to appear at the bottom, select Rideshare price under Show group in place of.
Formatting
You can choose between:
- Separate lines: Displays each merged attribute on its own line under the group label.
- Bulleted list: Combines all merged attributes in one line, separated by bullets.