Cognitive Empathy with the Person in the Ad

What it measures

This scale measures how easily a person relates to and takes the perspective of someone shown in a particular advertisement, capturing a situational empathetic reaction rather than a personality trait. Arango, Singaraju, and Niininen (2023) used it across two studies on consumer responses to AI-generated charitable giving ads.

Response format

7-point scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

• When seeing the ad, I put myself in the shoes of a _____.
• After seeing the ad, I imagine what it would feel like to be a _____.
• After seeing the ad, I can more easily see things from the _____'s point of view.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Reliability was strong in both studies (α = .91, Study 1; α = .94, Study 2; Arango, Singaraju, and Niininen 2023, p. 494). EFA and CFA in Study 1 supported unidimensionality along with convergent and discriminant validity. The scale was created by drawing on phrasing from an earlier guilt-and-giving empathy measure and, to a lesser extent, a classic multidimensional empathy inventory, rather than reusing either verbatim. The blank should be filled with a name or brief description of the person shown in the ad (e.g., needy child).

Citation

Arango, Luis, Stephen Pragasam Singaraju, and Outi Niininen (2023), "Consumer Responses to AI-Generated Charitable Giving Ads," Journal of Advertising, 52 (4), 486-503.

Keywords

More Advertising & Persuasion scales

• Sympathetic Response to Advertising Drama2003 · 5 items
• Depicted Movement in the Ad2023 · 6 items
• Congruence (Self with the Brand's Ad)2023 · 4 items
• Endorser and Product Fit in the Ad2023 · 3 items
• Engagement (General – Attentional Focus)2023 · 3 items
• Perceived Ad Motivational Orientation2023 · 3 items