Choice Freedom

What it measures

A five-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer perceives a choice they have made as freely self-determined and personally owned, rather than externally controlled or constrained. Items tap psychological ownership of the choice, expression of self-determination, absence of external control (reverse-scored), personal endorsement, and genuine engagement with the decision. The scale captures the subjective experience of autonomous agency in a choice episode and is applicable to research on choice satisfaction, post-decision affect, and decision locus.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• I feel as if I own this choice of [object].
• This choice of [object] is an expression of my self-determination.
• I feel that this choice of [object] was controlled by forces external to my own will. (r)
• I feel that I endorse this choice of [object].
• I feel truly engaged in this choice of [object].

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

Usage notes & scoring

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK FORMAT: The blank should be replaced with the focal choice object (e.g., 'restaurant', 'movie', 'internet provider'). Two reliability estimates: α = .82 (Study 3) and α = .84 (Study 4) — Botti & McGill (2011). VALIDITY: Not reported. One item is reverse-scored ('I feel that this choice of [object] was controlled by forces external to my own will'). Data collected from student samples across universities in London.

Citation

Botti, Simona and Ann L. McGill (2011). The locus of choice: Personal causality and satisfaction with hedonic and utilitarian decisions. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(6), 1065–1078.

Keywords