Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence

What it measures

Twelve seven-point Likert-type items measure the degree to which consumers are susceptible to interpersonal influence in their purchase decisions. The scale comprises two dimensions: a normative subscale assessing conformity to social expectations and peer approval, and an informational subscale assessing reliance on others for product knowledge. Items were generated from 166 candidate items and refined through multiple rounds of expert review and psychometric testing.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• I rarely purchase the latest fashion styles until I am sure my friends approve of them.
• It is important that others like the products and brands I buy.
• When buying products, I generally purchase those brands that I think others will approve of.
• If other people can see me using a product, I often purchase the brand they expect me to buy.
• I like to know what brands and products make good impressions on others.
• I achieve a sense of belonging by purchasing the same products and brands that others purchase.
• If I want to be like someone, I often try to buy the same brands that they buy.
• I often identify with other people by purchasing the same products and brands they purchase.
• To make sure I buy the right product or brand, I often observe what others are buying and using.
• If I have little experience with a product, I often ask my friends about the product.
• I often consult other people to help choose the best alternative available from a product class.
• I frequently gather information from friends or family about a product before I buy.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Original normative subscale (8 items) alphas of .87 and .88; informational subscale (4 items) alphas of .83 and .82 across two administrations. Three-week test-retest correlations of .75 (informational) and .79 (normative). Day and Stafford (1997) combined all 12 items and reported alpha of .87. Normative and informational subscales can be used independently or as a combined 12-item scale.

Citation

Bearden, W. O., Netemeyer, R. G., & Teel, J. E. (1989). Measurement of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(4), 473–481.

Keywords