Control Over Shopping Decisions

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring a consumer's subjective sense of control over their shopping and spending decisions during a specific shopping episode. Items assess confidence in decision-making quality, self-determination of what to buy, control over purchasing, and financial self-control. Designed for retail and in-store shopping research, the scale captures the felt autonomy and competence dimension of the shopping experience.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• I am confident about my ability to make good shopping decisions today.
• I decided on my own what to buy today.
• I was in control of what I purchased today.
• I felt in control of how much money I spent.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Single alpha: α = .85 — Grewal et al. (2020). VALIDITY: Not reported. Developed drawing phrases and concepts from Dabholkar (1996) and Hui & Bateson (1991) control measures; items appear original to Grewal et al. (2020). Items are past-tense ('I decided...', 'I was in control...') making the scale appropriate for post-shopping assessment.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Grewal, Dhruv, et al. (2020). Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3), 524–543.

Keywords