Self-Image Consciousness Scale

What it measures

Seven items capture the extent to which a person is concerned with their outward social presentation, encompassing both a defensive orientation -- avoiding looking foolish or negative -- and a proactive orientation -- actively seeking to present a positive image to others. The measure reflects sensitivity to the evaluative gaze of others and a desire for social approval through appearance management. It was developed in the context of research examining how dissociative group threat activates image-motivated consumer responses.

Scale items

• I am concerned with the publicly displayed aspects of myself.
• I am self-conscious about the way I look to others.
• I am concerned about the way I present myself to others.
• I wish to avoid looking foolish.
• I want to present a positive view of myself to others.
• I want to be viewed positively by others.
• I want to look good to others.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Developed for use in Study 3 with a sample of 240 undergraduate students; no prior published source for the items is identified. Items span public self-consciousness and self-presentation goals. The measure captures general self-image concern rather than domain-specific appearance anxiety, making it broadly applicable across consumer, social, and organisational research contexts. No formal validity analysis was conducted.

Citation

White, K., Simpson, B., & Argo, J. J. (2014). The motivating role of dissociative out-groups in encouraging positive consumer behaviors. Journal of Marketing Research, 51(4), 433-447.

Keywords