Reference Group Influence Scale

What it measures

The foundational measure of reference group influence in consumer research, validated across 20 product categories with housewife and student samples. Students are more susceptible than housewives for products like beer and cigarettes; housewives more susceptible for furniture. Mean scores across 20 products: informational 2.46–4.00, utilitarian 2.33–3.95, value expressive 1.93–3.97. The three dimensions should always be scored and interpreted separately. Bearden & Etzel (1982) adapted the scale to 6-point disagree–agree format with alphas 0.63–0.88 across dimensions. Items are written in the third person ('the individual') and should be rephrased for self-report administration.

Response format

4-point relevance scale (1=not relevant, 2=low relevance, 3=medium relevance, 4=highly relevant); 5 informational + 4 utilitarian + 5 value expressive items; items summed within dimension then divided by number of items to form dimension indices

Scale items

Informational Influence (5 items) — seeking information from knowledgeable others. 4-point scale (1=not relevant to 4=highly relevant). Third-person format; rephrase to first person for self-report.

• The individual seeks information about various brands and products from an association of professionals or independent group of experts.
• The individual seeks information from those who work with the products as a profession.
• The individual seeks brand-related knowledge and experience (such as how Brand A's performance compares to Brand B's) from those friends, neighbors, relatives, or work associates who have reliable information about the brands.
• The brand which the individual selects is influenced by observing a seal of approval of an independent testing agency (such as Good Housekeeping).
• The individual's observation of what experts do influences his choice of a brand (such as observing the type of car which police drive or the brand of TV which repairmen buy).

Utilitarian Influence (4 items) — complying with others' preferences to obtain rewards or avoid punishment. 4-point scale.

• To satisfy the expectations of fellow work associates, the individual's decision to purchase a particular brand is influenced by their preferences.
• The individual's decision to purchase a particular brand is influenced by the preferences of people with whom he has social interaction.
• The individual's decision to purchase a particular brand is influenced by the preferences of family members.
• The desire to satisfy the expectations that others have of him has an impact on the individual's brand choice.

Value Expressive Influence (5 items) — enhancing self-concept through identification with desired reference groups. 4-point scale.

• The individual feels that the purchase or use of a particular brand will enhance the image which others will have of him.
• The individual feels that those who purchase or use a particular brand possess the characteristics which he would like to have.
• The individual sometimes feels that it would be nice to be like the type of person which advertisements show using a particular brand.
• The individual feels that the people who purchase a particular brand are admired or respected by others.
• The individual feels that the purchase of a particular brand helps him show others what he is, or would like to be (such as an athlete, successful businessman, good father, etc.).

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

Usage notes & scoring

Items are written in the third person in the original ('the individual') — rephrase to first person ('I') for self-report surveys. Scored on a 4-point relevance scale (not relevant to highly relevant). Dimension indices = sum of items within dimension divided by number of items (resulting in a 1–4 range per dimension). Test-retest reliability is moderate (0.43–0.78) reflecting sensitivity to specific product and brand decisions. The three dimensions are conceptually distinct and should never be aggregated to a single score. The Bearden & Etzel (1982) adaptation (13 items, 6-point disagree–agree scales) is commonly used in marketing research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Park, C.W., & Lessig, V.P. (1977). Students and housewives: Differences in susceptibility to reference group influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 4(2), 102–110.

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