Consumer Escapism Scale

Name: Consumer Escapism Scale
Creator: Orazi, D.C., Mah, K.Y., Derksen, T. and Murray, K.B.
Published: 2023
License: https://psychometricscales.com/methodology.html

CESConsumer Escapism

9 items 2023 α 0.74-0.95 across four validation studies (see notes for per-study breakdown) Free Orazi, D.C., Mah, K.Y., Derksen, T. and Murray, K.B.

What it measures

This scale measures the extent to which a consumption activity was motivated by a desire to escape an unpleasant psychological state. It captures three distinct motivations behind escapist consumption: wanting to stop thinking about a problem, wanting to mentally detach from reality altogether, and wanting a moment of relief from everyday stress. The scale was purified from an initial 21-item pool down to 9 items across iterative confirmatory factor analysis, then validated across further studies including experimental manipulation and a link to physiological stress markers (heart rate variability), giving it both a self-report and a biometric validation path.

Scale items

Cognitive Distraction

...not think about my problems
...keep my mind off things that are bothering me
...take my mind off a problem

Reality Detachment

...escape from reality
...forget about the real world for a while
...escape into a world of my own

Anticipated Relief

...get relief from my day-to-day activities
...get relief from everyday worries
...get a break

Citation

Orazi, D.C., Mah, K.Y., Derksen, T. and Murray, K.B. (2023). Consumer escapism: Scale development, validation, and physiological associations. Journal of Business Research, 160, 113805.

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