The Construction of Preferences for Crux and Sentinel Product Attributes

Applying theory from behavioural psychology, we demonstrate that product preferences are not “found” in people, but rather constructed by people on an as-needed basis. The demonstration explores the relationship between crux product attributes, which are both important and difficult for people to assess, and sentinel attributes, which are easy for people to assess and have a perceived association with a crux attribute. A narrative of the relationship between crux and sentinel attributes is proposed and subsequently supported by the results of a discrete choice analysis survey, analyzed using a new technique called the full factorial marketplace. We generalize our approach to a constructed preferences methodology that can be used to identify crux/sentinel relationships and other relationships between attributes in products.