Communicative Efficacy of the App

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring the perceived effectiveness of a mobile app as a communication tool for expressing one's identity, tastes, and interests to others. Items assess whether using the app is effective for self-expression, conveys personal tastes to others, communicates what one is interested in, and allows sharing of important things about oneself. Developed for research on social identity signalling through app usage and social media, the scale captures the communicative utility of a digital tool for self-presentation.

Representative items

• Using this app is effective for expressing who I am.
• Using this app effectively conveys my personal tastes to others.
• Using this app allows me to share important things about myself.

Citation

Grewal, Lauren, Andrew T. Stephen, and Nicki Vicki Coleman (2019). When posting about products on social media backfires: The negative effects of consumer identity signaling on product interest. Journal of Marketing Research, 56(2), 197–210.