Product Disposal Guilt

What it measures

A three-item scale capturing the negative emotions—specifically shame, guilt, and regret—a person experiences when discarding a particular item in the rubbish rather than recycling or reusing it. Best suited to contexts where the respondent is aware of disposal alternatives.

Response format

7-point Likert-type (1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree)

Scale items

• I feel ashamed for throwing the _____ in the garbage.
• I feel guilty for throwing this _____ in the garbage.
• I regret throwing this _____ in the garbage.

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

Usage notes & scoring

The blank in each item should be replaced with a description of the object being discarded (e.g., 'plastic cup'). Originally referred to as a 'negative emotions index' by the authors. Most appropriate when respondents are aware that recycling or other disposal alternatives exist.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Trudel, R., Argo, J.J., & Meng, M.D. (2016). The recycled self: Consumers' disposal decisions of identity-linked products. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(2), 246–264.

Keywords