Authenticity of Purchase Decisions

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer is motivated to seek and purchase products or brands that communicate and enhance their personal authenticity. Items tap active pursuit of authenticity through purchasing, the use of genuine products as a vehicle for self-expression, and the monitoring of the marketplace for authentic brand options. Adapted from the consumer need for uniqueness literature, the scale operationalises authenticity-seeking as a distinct consumption motivation that shapes brand and product choices.

Representative items

• Often when buying merchandise, an important goal is to find something that communicates my authenticity.
• I actively seek to develop my personal authenticity by buying genuine products or brands.

Citation

Bellezza, Silvia and Jonah Berger (2020). Trickle-round signals: When low status is mixed with high. Journal of Marketing Research, 57(1), 100–116.