Attitude Toward the Person (Relational Liking)

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the degree to which a person likes, considers a friend, and gets along well with another individual in a specified relationship role. The relationship type is indicated by inserting an appropriate descriptor in the blank of each item (e.g., neighbour, financial adviser, physician, co-consumer). Items were adapted from a four-item scale by Wayne & Ferris (1990) developed to measure liking for a work subordinate. Used as one of three dimensions of social relationship quality in experiments examining whether automated group recommender systems improve hedonic product choice when group members have pre-existing social relationships.

Response format

Response format and scale points not described in source article (likely Likert-type; 8-point suggested by study context); role descriptor for the other person inserted in blanks

Scale items

• I like my __________ very much as a person.
• I think my __________ is a good friend.
• I get along well with my __________.

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

Usage notes & scoring

The response format was not described by the authors and is likely Likert-type, though the exact scale points are unknown. Researchers should select and report an appropriate format (7-point recommended). An 8-point scale was implied by the study context but not confirmed. Items were adapted from Wayne, S.J., & Ferris, G.R. (1990). Influence tactics, affect, and exchange quality in supervisor-subordinate interactions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(5), 487-499. CFA was used to confirm a three-factor structure for social relationship quality (of which this scale is one dimension), but item-level validity data were not separately reported. An appropriate role descriptor should be placed in each blank to specify the relationship being rated (e.g., 'I like my neighbour very much as a person'). Distinct from brand attachment and brand liking scales; the construct pertains to interpersonal rather than consumer-brand relationships.

Citation

Hennig-Thurau, T., Marchand, A., & Marx, P. (2012). Can automated group recommender systems help consumers make better choices? Journal of Marketing, 76(5), 89-109.

Keywords