Interpersonal Tie Strength

What it measures

Three items assessing how much a person likes, feels connected to, and experiences interpersonal chemistry with a specific other individual. Umashankar, Ward, and Dahl (2017) used the scale as a manipulation check for social tie strength in a service context, with the focal person being a service provider. The authors note that the item phrasing is readily adaptable to other interpersonal targets including friends, salespeople, celebrities, or politicians.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• I liked _____.
• I felt connected to _____.
• I felt chemistry with _____.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Alphas ranged from .83 to .94 across Studies 2, 3, 4a, and 4b. Used as a manipulation check in each study; confirmed manipulations provide limited evidence of predictive validity. The blanks in all three items should be replaced with a reference to the focal person (e.g., 'the service provider').

Citation

Umashankar, N., Ward, M.K., & Dahl, D.W. (2017). The benefit of becoming friends: Complaining after service failures leads customers with strong ties to increase loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 81(6), 79–98.

Keywords