- An attribute (of an object or a process) that expresses the perceived gap between its realized state and its desired state ( i.e., the gap separating the ‘real’ and the ‘ideal’).
The attribution of high quality is associated with the perception that the realized state of the thing exceeds the desired state; the attribution of low quality is associated with the perception that the realized state fails to meet the desired state.
[Note that the desired state (i.e., the state the thing “is supposed to be in”) can be concrete (based on a contract, such as a manufacturer’s advertised specs), presumed (based on some standard), or arbitrary (based on wishful thinking or the imagination).]