Histrionic Behavior

What it measures

This scale measures the degree to which a person is motivated to be flirtatious, attention-seeking, and sexually provocative with others; at its extreme, it indicates a personality disorder. Cesareo, Townsend, and Pavlov (2023) used the scale, unadapted, in Studies 3a and 4.

Response format

4-point scale (1=Never true, 2=Seldom true, 3=Very often true, 4=Always true)

Scale items

• I find it exciting to flirt with others.
• I like to be the center of attention.
• I always seem to have new friends.
• I'd prefer not to commit to just one romantic partner.
• I flirt even with people who I'm not attracted to.
• I tend to be the "life of the party."
• A lot of people find me sexually appealing.
• I know how to make people like me right away.
• I get frustrated when people don't notice me.
• I'm very interested in material things like cars, shoes, etc.
• I like it when I know someone desires me sexually.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Not adapted — used verbatim from the original source. Alphas were .85 and .80 in Studies 3a and 4, respectively (Cesareo, Townsend, and Pavlov 2023, pp. 645, 647); validity was not discussed. Ferguson and Negy's (2014) factor analysis suggested the 11 items load onto two factors — seductiveness and attention seeking — so researchers should consider whether a one-scale or two-subscale structure is more appropriate before use in theory testing.

Citation

Cesareo, Ludovica, Claudia Townsend, and Eugene Pavlov (2023), "Hideous But Worth It: Distinctive Ugliness as a Signal of Luxury," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51 (3), 636-657.

Keywords