126 Understanding Rational Decision Making
When conducting an attribute-based search, audience members compare the fi rst alternative’svalue for the fi rst decision criterion, in this case apartment A’s cost, to the corresponding values of
the other alternatives, in this case apartment B’s cost, before moving on to compare the fi rst alter-
native’s value for the second criterion, in this case apartment A’s noise level, to the corresponding
values of the other alternatives. Conversely, when conducting an alternative-based search, audience
members input all of the attribute values of one alternative (e.g., apartment A’s cost and noise level)
before moving on to input all of the attribute values of the next alternative (e.g., apartment B’s cost
and noise level).
Figures 3.11 and 3.12 illustrate the difference between the two search patterns if an audiencemember were to scan the cells of a decision matrix to decide among three used cars—a 2008 Lexus
RX350, a 2008 Mercedes M-Class, and a 1999 Ford Taurus—described by six attributes: body type,
miles per gallon, reliability, safety record, depreciation rate, and retail price.
The Audience’s Preference for Attribute-Based Search
Audiences show a marked preference for conducting attribute-based searches. In a study of
expert decision making, an experienced trust investment offi cer from a large commercial bank
was asked to think aloud as he chose equity stocks for a client portfolio. The study revealed that
the investment offi cer made an attribute-based search of his investment options. Before choosing
2008 RX350 2008 M-Class 1999 TaurusSUV SUV Sedan19 19 21Very Good Poor GoodGood Good GoodVery Good$34,500 $52,000 $21,500FIGURE 3.11 An Attribute-Based Search
FIGURE 3.12 An Alternative-Based Search
2008 RX350 2008 M-Class 1999 TaurusSUV SUV Sedan19 19 21Very Good Poor GoodGood Good GoodVery Good$34,500 $52,000 $21,500