To create an attribute field, just right-click any field in your data source (in the taskpane) and click "Add..." A dialog will come up that allows you to name the attribute and create it.
To create attributes with the same name in more than one place, right-click the attribute you want to reuse, select "Reference..." and then select a destination for it. This can be tedious, but you'll get it done eventually :-)
To create a rule on a field, again right-click the field and open its properties, click the Rules and Merge tab, and click "Add..." Rules' sole purpose is to trigger when a field's value changes, so once you create the rules with the requisite conditions, you should be all set.