Active Participation

What it measures

Assesses the degree to which a participant felt actively engaged versus passively observant during an experience or activity. Developed as a manipulation check in a gamification study where participants either interacted with or passively watched a product innovation presentation. Two items are reverse-scored. Suitable for any context where active versus passive engagement is a key distinction, such as demonstrations, gamified presentations, or co-creation activities.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• I felt active during the __________.
• I rather passively observed the __________. (r)
• My role during the __________ was very active.
• I felt passive during the __________. (r)

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Items 2 and 4 are reverse-scored (r). Insert activity/experience label in blanks. Reverse-scoring was not explicitly stated in the original article — confirm via factor analysis before use. Originally used as a manipulation check; predictive validity is implied by successful manipulation.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Müller-Stewens, J., Schlager, T., Häubl, G., & Herrmann, A. (2017). Gamified information presentation and consumer adoption of product innovations. Journal of Marketing, 81(2), 8–24.

Keywords