Appreciation Felt Scale

What it measures

Measures the degree to which a consumer feels genuinely appreciated by a firm or other party following an acknowledgment gesture (such as a thank-you note). Developed in the context of research exploring the trivialization effect, where attaching small financial rewards to expressions of gratitude can paradoxically reduce consumers' sense of being valued compared to purely verbal acknowledgment.

Response format

7-point scale; item-specific anchors (not at all to very much)

Scale items

• How appreciated do you feel by [party] for what you have done for its business?
• How valued do you feel by [party] for what you have done for its business?
• How satisfied do you feel with [party's] response to what you have done for its business?

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

Usage notes & scoring

Scale used across six studies with consistently high reliability (alpha .95-.98). Item 1 anchored 'not at all appreciated' to 'very much appreciated'; Item 2 'not at all valued' to 'very much valued'; Item 3 'not at all satisfied' to 'very much satisfied'. Wording of the stem and blanks should be adapted to reflect the specific appreciating party and context. Validity not explicitly discussed by authors. DOI not confirmed — verify via AMA/Sage journals.

Citation

Liu, P.J., Lamberton, C., & Haws, K.L. (2015). Should firms use small financial benefits to express appreciation to consumers? Understanding and avoiding trivialization effects. Journal of Marketing, 79(3), 74-90.

Keywords