Preference for Consistency Scale
PFCA dispositional preference for consistency in one's own responses and in others' responses. PFC reflects a tendency to base responses to incoming stimuli on prior expectancies, commitments, and choices. Manifests across three domains: internal consistency (desire to be consistent with one's own prior responses), public consistency (desire to appear consistent to others), and others' consistency (desire that others be consistent).
18 items
1995
α 0.84–0.89
Free
Cialdini, R.B., Trost, M.R. & Newsom, J.
What it measures
Individuals high in PFC tend to behave in ways consistent with prior commitments, are more susceptible to foot-in-the-door effects and cognitive dissonance induction, and show stronger balance-consistency effects. High PFC individuals also tend toward rigidity and personal need for structure. PFC is conceptually and empirically related to balance theory, cognitive dissonance, and commitment-consistency influence principles (Cialdini 1984). The 9-item short form (average alpha=0.84) is recommended for most research contexts; the correlation between 18- and 9-item versions is r=0.95. Mean score: M=5.43 (SD=1.19) for the 18-item version.
Response format
9-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 9=strongly agree); items averaged. Item 18 reverse-scored. A 9-item short form is also available (items 4,5,7,11,12,14,15,16,18).
Scale items
- I prefer to be around people whose reactions I can anticipate.
- It is important to me that my actions are consistent with my beliefs.
- Even if my attitudes and actions seemed consistent with one another to me, it would bother me if they did not seem consistent in the eyes of others.
- It is important to me that those who know me can predict what I will do. *(short form)
- I want to be described by others as a stable, predictable person. *(short form)
- Admirable people are consistent and predictable.
- The appearance of consistency is an important part of the image I present to the world. *(short form)
- It bothers me when someone I depend on is unpredictable.
- I don't like to appear as if I am inconsistent.
- I get uncomfortable when I find my behavior contradicts my beliefs.
- An important requirement for any friend of mine is personal consistency. *(short form)
- I typically prefer to do things the same way. *(short form)
- I dislike people who are constantly changing their opinion.
- I want my close friends to be predictable. *(short form)
- It is important to me that others view me as a stable person. *(short form)
- I make an effort to appear consistent to others. *(short form)
- I'm uncomfortable holding two beliefs that are inconsistent.
- It doesn't bother me much if my actions are inconsistent. (R) *(short form)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Usage notes & scoring
Item 18 ('It doesn't bother me much if my actions are inconsistent') requires reverse scoring. The three conceptual domains (internal, public, others' consistency) are scored as a single scale because of their high intercorrelations (0.73–0.87). The 9-item short form comprises items 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 18 (item 18 still reverse-scored). PFC correlated with rigidity (r=0.48), personal need for structure (r=0.47), and self-consciousness (r=0.25); negatively with Openness (r=–0.38); not with social desirability, self-monitoring, or locus of control. Used in influence and persuasion research as a moderator of commitment-based tactics.
Recommended companion scales
Citation
Cialdini, R.B., Trost, M.R., & Newsom, J. (1995). Preference for consistency: The development of a valid measure and the discovery of surprising behavioral implications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(2), 318–328.
Keywords
#preferenceforconsistency#PFC#consistency#cognitivedissonance#commitment#foot-in-the-door#balancetheory#socialinfluence#individualdifferences#Cialdini#persuasion#self-consistency