Self-Signaling Decision Motivation

What it measures

This six-item scale measures how much a person made a decision in a way that reflects and confirms their goals and self-concept. Lee and Winterich (2022) created it and used it in Studies 4, 5, and 6 of research on how high prices can make consumers feel entitled to buy socially costly products. They drew on concepts from Savary, Goldsmith, and Dhar (2015), and the first two items adapt items used by Savary and Goldsmith (2020).

Response format

7-point scale (1 = not at all, 7 = very much)

Scale items

• The decision I made tells me a lot about myself.
• The decision I made reflects my inner goals and values.
• I wanted to make a decision that aligns with the way I view myself.
• I wanted to make a decision that confirms my self-concept.
• I wanted to make a decision that confirms how I view my ___.
• I wanted to make a decision that aligns with my view of my ___.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Alpha was .94 in Study 4 (Lee and Winterich 2022, p. 1150); reliabilities for Studies 5 and 6 were not reported. Validity was not discussed. The blanks in items 5 and 6 are filled with a word or phrase tied to the focal decision, for example, social standing (Web Appendix, p. 9).

Citation

Lee, Saerom and Karen Page Winterich (2022), "The Price Entitlement Effect: When and Why High Price Entitles Consumers to Purchase Socially Costly Products," Journal of Marketing Research, 59 (6), 1141-1160.

Keywords

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