ATTRIBUTE RANGE AND RESPONSE RANGE - LIMITS OF COMPATIBILITY IN MULTIATTRIBUTE JUDGMENT

Previous research suggests that attributes may have greater effects on judgment when attribute scales and response scales are compatible. We examine a particular form of compatibility, similarity of ranges, and test between two theories of attribute range and response range effec ts. Two groups of subjects rated the overall class performance of stud ents as described by two exam scores and an essay grade. An identical set of exam scores was presented in narrow and wide exam ranges. One g roup made performance ratings using a narrow response scale, and the o ther rated performance with a wide response scale. In both response ra nge conditions, the effect of the common attribute levels was greater for the narrow exam range than for the wide exam range. This finding i s inconsistent with a range-compatibility hypothesis which predicts th at the effect of an attribute depends on the compatibility between att ribute range and response range. Results are consistent with a range-f requency hypothesis in which the same attribute levels span a greater range of subjective values when presented in a narrow attribute range, regardless of the response scale. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.