Ethicality

What it measures

Six bipolar adjective pairs assess the ethical dimension of a stimulus based on whether it aligns with long-established moral codes rooted in family upbringing and cultural tradition.

Response format

7-point semantic differential

Scale items

• unjust / just
• unacceptable to my family / acceptable to my family
• unfair / fair
• not morally right / morally right
• culturally unacceptable / culturally acceptable
• traditionally unacceptable / traditionally acceptable

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

Usage notes & scoring

The moral equity subscale from the Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES) by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). Alphas .92 (LaTour and Henthorne 1994) and .90 (LaTour et al. 1996). Applied to evaluations of advertising content, pricing practices, and other potentially objectionable stimuli.

Citation

Reidenbach, R. E., & Robin, D. P. (1988). Some initial steps toward improving the measurement of ethical evaluations of marketing activities. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(2), 871–890.

Keywords