A four-item, seven-point Likert-type scale measuring the degree to which a person perceives a specific advertisement to be trustworthy, credible, and authentic. Key terms were drawn from the Ad Believability Scale developed by Beltramini (1982) and adapted into Likert-format statements. The scale was used in a multi-method investigation comparing consumer-generated advertising (CGA) with company-created advertising, examining how source of the ad affects perceived trustworthiness as a component of advertising effectiveness. Consumer-generated ads were found to generate stronger trustworthiness perceptions than company-made equivalents.
7-point Likert (assumed; anchors not explicitly stated in source article)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Scale items were adapted from the Beltramini (1982) Ad Believability Scale (ID 1093), which uses semantic differentials (e.g., untrustworthy/trustworthy, not credible/credible, not authentic/authentic). Lawrence et al. converted these into Likert-format statements, producing a format-distinct instrument. The two scales are complementary: ID 1093 is a 10-item semantic differential measuring overall ad believability; this scale is a 4-item Likert measure emphasising trustworthiness and authenticity specifically. This scale completes a four-scale suite from the Lawrence et al. (2013) study: Ad Attribute Importance — Executional Quality (ID 2155), Attitude Toward the Ad (Pleasurable) (ID 2177), and Attitude Toward the Ad (Relevance) (ID 2180).
Lawrence, B., Fournier, S., & Brunel, F. (2013). When companies don't make the ad: A multimethod inquiry into the differential effectiveness of consumer-generated advertising. Journal of Advertising, 42(4), 292-307.
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