Metaphor Strength (Up = More & Down = Less)

What it measures

The scale captures how strongly a person associates upward spatial cues with 'more' and downward cues with 'less' — a common conceptual metaphor with implications for visual design and packaging.

Response format

9-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 9=strongly agree)

Scale items

• less of something / more of something
• smaller / bigger Please click on the response that best captures the word/phrase that you associate with "down."
• less of something / more of something
• smaller / bigger
• I associate lower locations with less of something rather than more of something. strongly disagree / strongly agree
• I associate higher locations with more of something rather than less of something. strongly disagree / strongly agree

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

Usage notes & scoring

Source not stated by Barone, Coulter, and Li (2020), who appear to have created the scale themselves; used across two MTurk studies with acceptable to good reliability (α = .76–.85). Validity wasn't separately assessed.

Citation

Barone, M.J., Coulter, K.S., & Li, X. (2020). The Upside of Down: Presenting a Price in a Low or High Location Influences How Consumers Evaluate It. Journal of Retailing, 96(3), 397–410.

Keywords