A 14-item multidimensional scale assessing the degree to which consumers can adapt their thoughts, feelings, and actions when evaluating unfamiliar or highly innovative products. Three facets capture distinct aspects of this adaptive capacity: emotional regulation in difficult consumption situations (Coping, 6 items), flexible interpretation of product information and marketing messages (Perspective, 5 items), and behavioural adjustment to changes in retail or product environments (Alignment, 3 items). Developed and validated across four studies using representative German and US consumer samples, with demonstrated predictive validity for acceptance of really new products across food, furniture, and digital service categories. The scale is explicitly differentiated from two established psychological cognitive flexibility instruments: the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (Martin & Rubin, 1995) and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010), neither of which captures the feelings dimension or shows predictive validity in consumer contexts.
Benninger, N., & Roosen, J. (2024). The chameleon in consumers: Development and validation of a scale to measure Consumers Cognitive Flexibility. Psychology and Marketing, 41, 2448-2462. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22064
Free access to 2023+ psychometric scales at PsychScales