High in Emergent Nature Scale

What it measures

The HEN scale identifies consumers who are optimally suited to co-develop new product concepts for mainstream markets. Validated across multiple studies with 1,000+ respondents including calibration and validation splits. Alpha 0.93–0.94. High-HEN consumers produce product concepts rated significantly more appealing by mainstream consumers than concepts from typical, lead-user, or innovative consumers — demonstrated across home delivery and oral care categories in both group and individual settings. HEN is distinct from but correlated with dispositional innovativeness (r=0.37) and domain-specific lead user status (r=0.39). High-HEN consumers tend to emphasise utilitarian attributes in concept development. Mean: M=36.88 (SD=9.78) in combined sample of 1,124.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree); items summed (range 8–56)

Scale items

• When I hear about a new product or service idea, it is easy to imagine how it might be developed into an actual product or service.
• Even if I don't see an immediate use for a new product or service, I like to think about how I might use it in the future.
• When I see a new product or service idea, it is easy to visualize how it might fit into the life of an average person in the future.
• If someone gave me a new product or service idea with no clear application, I could 'fill in the blanks' so someone else would know what to do with it.
• Even if I don't see an immediate use for a new product or service, I like to imagine how people in general might use it in the future.
• I like to experiment with new ideas for how to use products and services.
• I like to find patterns in complexity.
• I can picture how products and services of today could be improved to make them more appealing to the average person.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Sum all 8 items (range 8–56). Mean M=36.88, SD=9.78 in combined n=1,124. Distinct from domain-specific lead user status (r=0.39 — measures different construct). Positively related to openness to experience, verbal and visual processing, experiential and rational thinking style, creativity, and optimism. High-HEN consumers are the 'right' respondents for new product concept development studies — their input predicts mainstream market success better than lead users or typical innovative consumers.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Hoffman, D.L., Kopalle, P.K., & Novak, T.P. (2010). The 'right' consumers for better concepts: Identifying and using consumers high in emergent nature to further develop new product concepts. Journal of Marketing Research, 47(5), 854–865.

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