Ad Information Complexity

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer perceives the information content of an advertisement to be excessively complex and in need of simplification. Items tap the experienced difficulty of processing ad information, the perceived need for simplification, and the overall sense that the ad's content is complicated. Adapted from a pharmaceutical information complexity measure for use in an advertising context, the scale is suited to research examining how information overload affects consumer responses to health or financial advertising.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• The information given in the ad was too complex.
• There is a need to simplify some of the information given in the ad.
• The information given in the ad was very complicated.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Two reliability estimates from pretests: α = .94 (Study 1 pretest) and α = .93 (Study 2 pretest) — Wu & Dodoo (2020). VALIDITY: Not reported. Adapted from a nine-item measure of drug information complexity by Schommer, Doucette & Worley (2001, Industrial Management and Data Systems) — only three items were retained after adaptation to the advertising context. Researchers should note the pharmaceutical origins of the items when applying to general advertising contexts.

Citation

Wu, Laurie and Naa Amponsah Dodoo (2020). Journal of Advertising, 49(3), 233–248.

Keywords