Connection to Prior Owners of the Product

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the degree to which a consumer feels a sense of interpersonal connection to the previous owners of a product through the act of shared ownership. Items tap felt connection to prior owners, enjoyment of the shared-taste relationship, and the reminder that one's purchase reflects taste alignment with others. Developed for research on loneliness and secondhand product preference, the scale captures the social bridging function of previously-owned products.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• I would feel a connection to the prior owners of the products.
• I would enjoy thinking the prior owners of the products are similar to me.
• Owning this product will remind me I share taste with others.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .83 — Huang & Fishbach (2021, Study 5b; n = 245 undergraduates in Hong Kong). VALIDITY: Not reported. Scale source not stated — appears original to the authors. NOTE: Items are phrased in the conditional ('I would feel...') making the scale appropriate for hypothetical designs where participants evaluate products they have not yet purchased. Companion to Connectedness to the Possession (CNPO, ID 2124).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Huang, Feifei and Ayelet Fishbach (2021). Feeling lonely increases interest in previously owned products. Journal of Marketing Research, 58(5), 968–980.

Keywords