Attitude Toward the Ad (Warmth)

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer perceives an advertisement as communicating warmth — cosiness, affection, and interpersonal closeness. Items assess whether the ad feels cosy, conveys warmth, has an affectionate tone, and is perceived as warm overall.

Response format

5-point Likert (strongly disagree / strongly agree)

Scale items

• I think the ad is cozy.
• I think the ad sends out warmth.
• I think the tone of the ad is affectionate.
• I think the ad is warm.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .95 (Study 1, n = 186 MTurk) — Kim & Ball (2021). Alpha in Study 2 not reported. VALIDITY: Used as manipulation check for warmth appeal; successful detection provides preliminary validity evidence. Items adapted from Zawisza & Pittard (2015) and Geuens & Pelsmacker (1999). NOTE: Response scale is 5-point (strongly disagree to strongly agree), not 7-point. Same paper as Brand Competence (BRCO, ID 2149). DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2021.1940393

Citation

Kim, Taemin and Jennifer Gerard Ball (2021). Unintended consequences of warmth appeals: An extension of the compensation effect between warmth and competence to advertising. Journal of Advertising, 50(5), 622–638.

Keywords