Ergonomics of the Shopping Cart (Comparative)

What it measures

This scale measures how well a shopping cart with uncommon grips maneuvers compared to carts with typical handles. The scale was used in a partial replication of Study 3 by Estes and Streicher (2022, Web Appendix E), with data from 100 people, mostly students, recruited at a European university.

Response format

7-point semantic differential (items scored 1-7, higher scores indicating more positive handling)

Scale items

• In comparison to the horizontal handlebar of common shopping carts, these handles feel . . . (worse/better)
• How good or bad can you control the cart's direction with these handles? (bad control/good control)
• How easy was it to maneuver the cart with these handles around the pillar? (difficult/easy)
• How good or bad is the cart's overall handling? (bad/good)

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

Usage notes & scoring

The alpha was .85 (Estes and Streicher 2022, Web Appendix, p. 7). Validity was not discussed. The "pillar" referenced in item 3 was not otherwise described in the article or web appendix; it is likely an obstacle placed so participants could experience how well the cart could be turned by its handles. The source of the scale was not stated and is assumed to have been created by the authors.

Citation

Estes, Zachary and Mathias C. Streicher (2022), "Getting a Handle on Sales: Shopping Carts Affect Purchasing by Activating Arm Muscles," Journal of Marketing, 86 (6), 135-154.

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