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.
Likert (1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Score = mean. Touch increases psychological ownership which increases valuation — the core finding. Equally applicable to digital products (apps, subscriptions, virtual goods) where mental simulation and personalisation drive ownership feelings.
Peck, J., & Shu, S.B. (2009). The effect of mere touch on perceived ownership. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(3), 439–452.
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