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Hardly a survey, so it seems, is executed without some battery of attributes measured. Whether to assess importance, satisfaction, or perhaps levels of agreement, these rating scales are both simple and effective. However, not so infrequently, I run into a very common mistake in the generation of attributes or statements of agreement. It's what I call "compound attributes."
The Problem
Compound attributes exist when two separate concepts are expressed as a single idea or measure. It is an easy trap to fall into. Is the television program not only informative but entertaining? Is that salad not both nutritious and delicious? Am I not both a fun-loving and thought-provoking writer of research articles? (Okay, don't answer that last one.) The point here is that, just because you may see them logically going hand in hand, each of these elements can be measured independently. That television program may be informative but not necessarily entertaining. The salad might be nutritious but that isn't a guarantee that it is also delicious. And, yes, as hard as it might be for me to personally accept, I might be a fun-loving writer but maybe not so thought-provoking. This is the dilemma.
The Sign
How to spot a prospective compound attribute is a relatively simple exercise. Use of the conjunction "and" almost always deserves serious scrutiny. That doesn't, however, mean that it must be split into two measures, though it could be an indication of redundancy, as in obtaining the level of agreement with the statement: "The sales representative was happy and cheerful." Descriptors imbedded in attributes are also a source of the same compounding as in the statement: "This is an easy to use, time-saving product."
Compound Attributes - What Not to Do- The service representative was cheerful and helpful
- XYZ Company cares about the health and happiness of its employees
- ABC Bank tellers process transactions accurately and fast
- This diet program is a safe, effective way to lose weight
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The Solution
Resolving the problem is a relatively simple task. Having identified attributes or statements that include the conjunction "and" or multiple descriptors, ask yourself (and others to the extent possible) if you have two unique ideas or one idea using an element of redundancy. If the conclusion is two unique ideas (as in the case of the nutritious and delicious salad), then create two independent measures. If, on the other hand, you determine that you have a redundancy (as in happy and cheerful representative), then leave it as a single measure, or better yet, simplify it by eliminating the redundancy.
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