Connectedness with an Individual

What it measures

A six-item scale measuring the felt sense of interpersonal connection toward a specific target individual. Items tap curiosity about the person, perceived shared interests, felt connectedness, willingness for self-disclosure, and anticipated rapport. The scale captures a momentary state of interpersonal closeness toward a named or implied individual and is well-suited to research examining incidental similarity, salesperson-consumer dynamics, and social influence processes in dyadic interactions.

Response format

7-point unipolar (not at all / very much)

Scale items

• I am interested in knowing more about [person].
• [Person] and I seem to share the same interest.
• I feel connected with [person].
• I am willing to talk about my personal life with [person].
• I am interested in what [person] is really like.
• I think I will get along well with [person].

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

Usage notes & scoring

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK FORMAT: Blanks should be replaced with the name or descriptor of the target individual (e.g., 'the salesperson', 'this person'). Single reliability estimate: α = .88 — Jiang et al. (2010, Study 1A). VALIDITY: Not reported. Response scale anchored at 'not at all' (1) and 'very much' (7). Adapted from selected items in the Interpersonal Orientation Scale (Swap & Rubin 1983, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 44(1), 208–219), a 29-item instrument measuring responsiveness to interpersonal aspects of relationships — items here differ substantially from the original. Items provided via personal correspondence with Jiang (2012).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Jiang, Lan, Joandrea Hoegg, Darren W. Dahl, and Amitava Chattopadhyay (2010). The persuasive role of incidental similarity on attitudes and purchase intentions in a sales context. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(5), 778–791.

Keywords