The CES is the most comprehensive and widely used measure of consumption-specific emotional experience. Richins (1997) developed the CES through content analysis of consumption diaries, expert sorting, and large-scale psychometric validation to produce a taxonomy of emotions actually experienced during product acquisition, use, and disposal. The 16-cluster, 45-descriptor set covers the full valence x arousal x social emotion space relevant to consumer experience, including consumption-distinctive emotions (envy, romantic love, loneliness) rarely captured in general affect scales. The CES can be used as a full 45-item battery or as selected clusters most relevant to a specific consumption context. Post-consumption CES profiles predict satisfaction, repurchase intention, word-of-mouth valence, and brand attachment.
4-point intensity scale (0=not at all to 3=strongly) applied to 45 emotion descriptors in 16 clusters; cluster scores averaged; no composite total
Anger — ANGL (3 items): feelings of hostility, frustration, and agitation. 4-point scale (0=not at all to 3=strongly).
Discontent — DSCNT (3 items): dissatisfaction and sense of unfulfilled expectation. 4-point scale.
Worry — WORRY (3 items): apprehension and tension about outcomes. 4-point scale.
Sadness — SAD (4 items): grief, depression, and unhappiness. 4-point scale.
Fear — FEAR (3 items): fright and anxiety about potential harm. 4-point scale.
Shame — SHAME (3 items): self-conscious negative evaluation including embarrassment and humiliation. 4-point scale.
Envy — ENVY (2 items): desire for what others possess. 4-point scale.
Loneliness — LONE (2 items): feelings of isolation and disconnection. 4-point scale.
Romantic Love — RLOVE (2 items): passionate and romantic affect. 4-point scale.
Love — LOVE (3 items): warm, caring affection. 4-point scale.
Peacefulness — PEACE (2 items): calm and tranquil affect. 4-point scale.
Contentment — CONT (2 items): quiet satisfaction and fulfilment. 4-point scale.
Optimism — OPT (3 items): hope and positive expectation. 4-point scale.
Joy — JOY (4 items): happiness and pleasure. 4-point scale.
Excitement — EXCIT (3 items): energised, high-arousal positive affect. 4-point scale.
Surprise — SURP (3 items): astonishment and unexpectedness. 4-point scale.
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
CES should not be collapsed into a single summary score — the cluster profile is the meaningful unit of analysis. Select relevant clusters for specific research contexts. The 0–3 intensity scale differs from most Likert scales; check for response format clarity in survey design. A shorter 17-item version using one representative descriptor per cluster has been used in time-constrained surveys. For briefer affect measurement use PANAS or BMIS; use CES when domain-specific consumption emotions (envy, loneliness, romantic love) are theoretically important.
Richins, M.L. (1997). Measuring emotions in the consumption experience. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(2), 184–201.
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