Emotional Violation (Data Context) Scale

What it measures

Measures a customer's negative affect resulting from a perception of a firm's failure to respect their privacy or other rights in relation to data management activities. Adapted from Grégoire and Fisher (2008). Represents the emotional (as opposed to cognitive trust) mechanism through which data vulnerability harms customer behaviour.

Response format

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

Scale items

• Regarding the company's customer data activities, I feel: Violated.
• Regarding the company's customer data activities, I feel: Betrayed.
• Regarding the company's customer data activities, I feel: Not respected.
• Regarding the company's customer data activities, I feel: Taken advantage of.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Adapted from Grégoire, Y., & Fisher, R.J. (2008). Customer betrayal and retaliation: When your best customers become your worst enemies. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(2), 247–261. Used as a mediator alongside Cognitive Trust in Martin et al.'s integrated model linking data vulnerability to customer behavioural outcomes.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Martin, K.D., Borah, A., & Palmatier, R.W. (2017). Data privacy: Effects on customer and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, 81(1), 36–58.

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