Dynamic level calculation in choice experiments
How to calculate total travel time from different levels within an experiment using dynamic computation.
A step-by-step interactive tutorial on dynamic level calculation in choice experiments in SurveyEngine. Preview the live tutorial, then download and upload it to your account to examine the construction.
Ben White, 08.07.2026
What this tutorial covers
How to calculate total travel time from different levels within an experiment using dynamic computation.
Each page of the tutorial demonstrates a specific technique. Work through it as a respondent first, then open the editor to see how it was built.
What you will learn
After completing this tutorial you will be able to implement dynamic level calculation in choice experiments in your own SurveyEngine surveys.
Download the tutorial ZIP and upload it to your account to use it as a starting point or template for your own work.
TLDR Quick links
Step-by-step walkthrough
Step 1: Understand composite attributes. Some attributes like total travel time are computed from sub-components - access time plus in-vehicle time.
Step 2: Define component levels. Enter the individual component levels in your experimental design.
Step 3: Write dynamic level expressions. Use expressions to compute the composite attribute value from component levels at display time.
Step 4: Display the computed value. Configure the choice experiment to show the dynamically computed value in the attribute cell.
Step 5: Verify the computation. Preview each design version to confirm the computed values are correct for all combinations of component levels.
Try the live tutorial
The live tutorial is a working SurveyEngine survey. Click through it as a respondent to see the finished result.
Then download the tutorial ZIP file and upload it to your SurveyEngine account to examine how it was built.
Preview the live tutorial or download the ZIP file to load it into your account.
References
Ready to try it? Open a free SurveyEngine account, download the tutorial ZIP and upload it to your account.
Or Contact us at support@surveyengine.com — we're glad to help.