Consumer Confusion Scale

What it measures

Measures consumer confusion arising from three distinct sources: overload (too many similar products or information to process), similarity (difficulty distinguishing between competing products or brands), and ambiguity (unclear or misleading product information). Consumer confusion leads to deferred decisions, suboptimal choices, and dissatisfaction. Increasingly relevant in digital and subscription markets.

Representative items

• I feel overwhelmed by the choice of products in this market. (Overload)
• I find it hard to tell the difference between products in this category. (Similarity)
• I find the information provided about these products hard to understand. (Ambiguity)
• There are so many brands that it is difficult to make a choice. (Overload)
• Many products in this category seem very similar to me. (Similarity)

Citation

Walsh, G., Hennig-Thurau, T., & Mitchell, V.W. (2007). Consumer confusion proneness: Scale development, validation, and application. Journal of Marketing Management, 23(7–8), 697–721.