Level overlap and level color coding revisited: Improved attribute attendance and higher choice consistency in discrete choice experiments

Previous work has identified attribute level overlap and level color coding as effective and attractive strategies to reduce task complexity and improve behavioral efficiency in discrete choice experiments (DCEs). However, the simultaneous and combined impact of level overlap and level color coding on attribute non-attendance and choice consistency has not yet been investigated. To address this limitation and to strengthen the available evidence base, this paper re-analyzed an existing randomized controlled DCE from the Netherlands (N = 2,731) and analyzed a new randomized controlled DCE conducted in the United Kingdom (N = 3,084) using heteroskedastic attribute non-attendance mixed logit models. Both randomized controlled experiments were based on a relatively complex instrument with 5 attributes with 5 levels each and the results from both experiments were remarkably similar. In the base-case study arms without level overlap and color coding, only about half of the attributes are attended to. Level color coding as a stand-alone strategy improves attribute attendance but reduces respondents' choice consistency. In contrast, level overlap as a stand-alone strategy improves attribute attendance while simultaneously increasing respondents' choice consistency. The combination of level overlap and color coding is even more effective: it results in approximately full attribute attendance and a 30% increase in respondents' choice consistency. Experimental designs with level overlap are therefore recommended as a default design strategy and level color coding recommended to further increase respondents’ behavioral efficiency in complex DCEs.