An eight-item, seven-point Likert-type scale measuring the degree to which an individual feels socially excluded, unaccepted, and disconnected from others. While the construct shares conceptual ground with loneliness, the scale places greater emphasis on perceived social exclusion and relational non-acceptance — not fitting in, not being included, and sensing that others do not care — rather than the subjective affective distress characteristic of loneliness measures. Administered to 216 undergraduate business students across two universities (University of Pittsburgh and Georgia Institute of Technology) in Study 4 of the parent article. The scale was originally used in a reverse-scored form to measure belongingness; it functions equally in its natural direction as a direct measure of aloneness or felt exclusion.
Dommer, S.L., Swaminathan, V., & Ahluwalia, R. (2013). Using differentiated brands to deflect exclusion and protect inclusion: The moderating role of self-esteem on attachment to differentiated brands. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(4), 657-675.
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