A six-item unipolar scale measuring the negative psychological states associated with referring a friend or acquaintance for a commercial service or incentive programme. Items tap feelings of selfishness, guilt, deceitfulness, discomfort, sneakiness, and inner conflict arising from the act of referral — capturing the psychological cost dimension that moderates whether consumers engage in prosocial referral behaviour. The scale reflects the tension between financial incentives and social norms of authenticity in referral marketing.
7-point unipolar (not at all / very much)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Two reliability estimates: α = .96 (Study 4a) and α = .94 (Appendix Study 1) — Gershon, Cryder & John (2020). Alpha for Appendix Study 2 was not reported. VALIDITY: Not discussed. Items are single-word descriptors; the authors referred to the construct as 'psychological costs' of referral behaviour. Scale appears original to the authors. CONTEXT: Developed specifically for research on incentivised referral programmes — items are most appropriate when participants have just been asked to refer someone or have been exposed to a referral incentive offer.
Gershon, Rachel, Cynthia Cryder, and Leslie K. John (2020). Why prosocial referral incentives work: The interplay of reputational benefits and action costs. Journal of Marketing Research, 57(1), 156–172.
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