Exchange Inequity (Positive)

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring a consumer's perception that they received more in an exchange than the other party or than they fairly deserved — a sense of advantageous inequity or over-benefit relative to the transaction partner. Items contain a blank for the transaction partner (e.g., company, service provider). The scale captures the positive inequity dimension of exchange fairness — distinct from perceptions of under-benefit — and is applicable to research on service recovery overcompensation and consumer guilt.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• I got more out of this transaction than the _____.
• I got more than I deserved.
• I got more benefits than the _____.

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

Usage notes & scoring

FILL-IN-THE-BLANK FORMAT: Blanks should be replaced with the transaction partner (e.g., 'company', 'service provider', 'seller'). Single alpha: α = .87 — Garnefeld et al. (2021, Study 2; n = 300 UK Prolific participants). VALIDITY: Not reported in the Garnefeld et al. application. Original scale: Brady et al. (2006) developed it for research on service encounter valence and exchange perceptions. Adapted by Garnefeld et al. (2021) for a loyalty programme over-reward context.

Citation

Brady, Michael K., Clay M. Voorhees, J. Joseph Cronin Jr., and Brian L. Bourdeau (2006). The good guys don't always win: The effect of valence on service perceptions and consequences. Journal of Service Research, 8(4), 323–335. [Applied by: Garnefeld, Ina, et al. (2021). Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(4), 706–729.]

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