you could certainly include character traits among choice decisions, but that's more fraught by subjectivity. that said, that's the magic of conjoint done well:

you could certainly include character traits among choice decisions, but that's more fraught by subjectivity. that said, that's the magic of conjoint done well: turning subjective hidden preferences into (more) objective choice revelation. currently, there is no option to choose a candidate supporting marijuana legalization, $15 minimum wage, pro-life, and pro-gun policies (as an example), since we practically only have two relatively fixed packages of pre-ordained, all-or-nothing policy positions to choose from. revealed preferences would pressure parties into fielding candidates that better match the non-partisan preferences of constituents. or better yet, it would lead to the waning of the two-party system altogether, toward a more direct representative democracy.