Consumers' Need for Uniqueness Scale

What it measures

The CNFU scale operationalises the desire to stand out from others through consumer choices, grounded in Snyder & Fromkin's (1977) uniqueness theory. Creative choice counterconformity reflects preference for original, aesthetically distinctive products that express individuality without social risk. Unpopular choice counterconformity reflects willingness to make choices that others may disapprove of. Avoidance of similarity reflects systematic disengagement from products when they become widely adopted. The overall CNFU score is validated (not subscale scores individually) — factor intercorrelations are 0.56–0.67. CNFU is negatively correlated with age, uncorrelated with gender or education, and not contaminated by social desirability. Validated with known groups (tattoo artists, low-rider owners, medievalist reenactors, art students).

Response format

5-point Likert (1=strongly agree to 5=strongly disagree); items averaged for overall CNFU score and per subscale

Scale items

Creative Choice Counterconformity — expressing uniqueness through original, aesthetically driven consumer choices (Likert 1–5, strongly agree to strongly disagree)

• I collect unusual products as a way of telling people I'm different.
• I have sometimes purchased unusual products or brands as a way to create a more distinctive personal image.
• I often look for one-of-a-kind products or brands so that I create a style that is all my own.
• Often when buying merchandise, an important goal is to find something that communicates my uniqueness.
• I often combine possessions in such a way that I create a personal image for myself that can't be duplicated.
• I often try to find a more interesting version of run-of-the-mill products because I enjoy being original.
• I actively seek to develop my personal uniqueness by buying special products or brands.
• Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual assists me in establishing a distinctive image.
• The products and brands that I like best are the ones that express my individuality.
• I often think of the things I buy and do in terms of how I can use them to shape a more unusual personal image.
• I'm often on the lookout for new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.

Unpopular Choice Counterconformity — willingness to make purchases that defy social norms or invite disapproval

• When dressing, I have sometimes dared to be different in ways that others are likely to disapprove.
• As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to the products I buy and the situations in which I use them, customs and rules are made to be broken.
• I often dress unconventionally, even when it's likely to offend others.
• I rarely act in agreement with what others think are the right things to buy.
• Concern for being out of place doesn't prevent me from wearing what I want to wear.
• When it comes to the products I buy and the situations in which I use them, I have often broken customs and rules.
• I have often violated the understood rules of my social group regarding what to buy or own.
• I have often gone against the understood rules of my social group regarding when and how certain products are properly used.
• I enjoy challenging the prevailing taste of people I know by buying something they wouldn't seem to accept.
• If someone hinted that I had been dressing inappropriately for a social situation, I would continue dressing in the same manner.
• When I dress differently, I'm often aware that others think I'm peculiar, but I don't care.

Avoidance of Similarity — disengaging from products when they become widely adopted

• When products or brands I like become extremely popular, I lose interest in them.
• I avoid products or brands that have already been accepted and purchased by the average consumer.
• When a product I own becomes popular among the general population, I begin using it less.
• I often try to avoid products or brands that I know are bought by the general population.
• As a rule, I dislike products or brands that are customarily purchased by everyone.
• I give up wearing fashions I've purchased once they become popular among the general public.
• The more commonplace a product or brand is among the general population, the less interested I am in buying it.
• Products don't seem to hold much value for me when they are purchased regularly by everyone.
• When a style of clothing I own becomes too commonplace, I usually quit wearing it.

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

Usage notes & scoring

The overall CNFU score (mean of all 31 items) is the validated unit of analysis — subscale scores have not been separately validated for predictive use. Note the reverse-coded response anchors: 1=strongly agree, 5=strongly disagree. Mean score in adult mail survey: M=2.60 (SD=0.56). CNFU is negatively correlated with age (r=–0.19) but not with gender or education. Test-retest reliability: r=0.73–0.81 over 1–2 years. The recommended item order in surveys is interspersed across dimensions (see Table 1 in Tian et al. 2001) — items are not presented in subscale blocks.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Tian, K.T., Bearden, W.O., & Hunter, G.L. (2001). Consumers' need for uniqueness: Scale development and validation. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(1), 50–66.

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