A pool of thirteen bipolar adjective pairs used across numerous studies to measure the trustworthiness and honesty dimension of source or advertiser credibility. Researchers select subsets appropriate to their context.
7-point semantic differential (varies by study)
Trustworthiness / Integrity
Competence / Credibility
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Compilation drawn primarily from MacKenzie and Lutz (1989) and Ohanian (1990). Not a single validated scale — researchers should select a theoretically coherent subset. Two dimensions are distinguished: (1) Trustworthiness/Integrity (moral dimension — sincere, honest, trustworthy, unbiased, truthful; α ≈ .92 for this subscale; Ohanian 1990) and (2) Competence/Credibility (ability/believability dimension — dependable, credible, believable, reputable, reliable, convincing, expert, true). Internal consistencies range from .71 to .98 across studies depending on item selection; either subscale used in isolation typically yields α ≥ .85. Commonly cited subsets: dishonest/honest, biased/not biased, not trustworthy/trustworthy, insincere/sincere (core trustworthiness items from Ohanian 1990). Response format: 7-point semantic differential; positive pole conventionally on the right.
Mackenzie, S. B., & Lutz, R. J. (1989). An empirical examination of the structural antecedents of attitude toward the ad in an advertising pretesting context. Journal of Marketing, 53(2), 48–65.
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