Entitlement

What it measures

A nine-item scale measuring the stable personality trait of psychological entitlement — the belief that one deserves more than others, is inherently special, and is owed preferential treatment by the world. Items span general deservingness, the expectation of extra benefits, inflated self-worth, and the belief that things should naturally go one's way. One item is reverse-scored. A well-validated instrument from social and personality psychology, it has been applied in consumer research examining how entitlement shapes luxury consumption, complaint behaviour, and brand interactions.

Representative items

• I feel entitled to more of everything.
• I honestly feel I'm just more deserving than others.
• Great things should come to me.
• Things should go my way.

Citation

Campbell, W. Keith, Angelica M. Bonacci, Jeremy Shelton, Julie J. Exline, and Brad J. Bushman (2004). Psychological entitlement: Interpersonal consequences and validation of a self-report measure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 83(1), 29–45.