Stated Preference (SP) techniques are more often used to measure the usefulness of different product characteristics, when composing products and services. The use of portable computers has made it possible to replace the rigid research design by a variable design different for each respondent. This contribution concentrates on the question whether such a research design, 'Flexible Conjunct Measuring' (FCM), will bring in sufficiently reliable results. An empirical comparison between the FCM and a traditional SP research technique shows that the outcomes are comparable. Furthermore, it appears that respondents have a clear preference for the FCM technique. Due to this technique, the questionnaire is limited drastically in magnitude, through which the evaluation of products or services with a lot of product characteristics is coming within the reach of SP research.
Samenvatting