Desire for Unique Consumer Products Scale

Name: Desire for Unique Consumer Products Scale
Published: 1997
License: https://psychometricscales.com/methodology.html

DUCPThe extent to which consumers hold as a personal goal the acquisition and possession of consumer goods, services, and experiences that few others possess. DUCP reflects a domain-specific consumption goal of uniqueness — antecedents include need for uniqueness, status aspiration, and materialism. Consequences include preference for scarce, innovative, customised, and outmoded products, and desire for small unique retail outlets.

8 items 1997 α 0.78 Free Lynn, M. & Harris, J.

What it measures

The DUCP measures the consumption-specific desire to own things few others have — distinct from Tian et al.'s (2001) CNFU (id:447) in its focus on acquisition and possession goals rather than identity expression through counterconformity. Validated with student and adult samples (alpha=0.78 for both), test-retest r=0.85 over 2 weeks, and behavioural criterion validity (artistic theatre patrons M higher than second-run theatre patrons). Correlates with status aspiration, need for uniqueness, acquisitiveness, power-prestige, competitiveness, informational influence, normative influence, and possessiveness. No gender differences; modest negative correlation with age (younger consumers score higher). Mean scores 24.8–26.2 across samples.

Response format

5-point bipolar scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree); items summed (range 8–40)

Scale items

I am very attracted to rare objects.
I tend to be a fashion leader rather than a fashion follower.
I am more likely to buy a product if it is scarce.
I would prefer to have things custom-made than to have them ready-made.
I enjoy having things that others do not.
I rarely pass up the opportunity to order custom features on the products I buy.
I like to try new products and services before others do.
I enjoy shopping at stores that carry merchandise that is different and unusual.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Items summed (not averaged); range 8–40. No reverse scoring required. Mean scores: student samples M=24.8–26.2; adult sample M=25.25–26.2. No gender differences; younger consumers score higher. Behavioural criterion validity demonstrated with theatre patron samples. Conceptually related to but distinct from CNFU (id:447) — DUCP captures acquisition goals, CNFU captures identity expression through counterconformity.

Recommended companion scales

Consumers' Need for Uniqueness ScaleConsumer Innovativeness ScalePsychological Entitlement Scale

Citation

Lynn, M., & Harris, J. (1997). The desire for unique consumer products: A new individual differences scale. Psychology & Marketing, 14(6), 601–616.

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Keywords

#desireforuniqueproducts#DUCP#uniqueness#scarcity#status#innovativeness#fashion#individualdifferences#luxury#consumergoals

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