Psychological Ownership Scale

What it measures

Measures the subjective sense that an object is mine — the feeling of psychological ownership — without requiring legal title or formal possession. Psychological ownership arises from physical touch, mental simulation of ownership, investment of effort in customising an object, and familiarity from extended exposure. Higher psychological ownership substantially increases willingness to pay and perceived value — people value objects more when they feel ownership toward them, even without actual ownership. In retail and digital contexts, touch, virtual try-on, customisation interfaces, and interactive demonstrations all increase psychological ownership and purchase intention. Foundational for research on haptics, AR retail, subscription services, and the sharing economy.

Representative items

• I feel like this product is mine.
• I feel a very high degree of personal ownership of this product.
• I feel like I own this product.
• I feel as though this product belongs to me.

Citation

Peck, J., & Shu, S.B. (2009). The effect of mere touch on perceived ownership. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(3), 439–452.