A scale measuring a person's momentary positive affective state characterised by feelings of love, affection, and closeness toward others. Two versions were used by Cavanaugh, Bettman, and Luce (2015): a two-item version (items 1 and 2) used as a manipulation check prior to Study 2 with college students (n = 65), and a three-item version used prior to Study 4 (n = 147). The two-item version used a 9-point response scale (none = 0, more than ever = 8; alpha = .93), and the three-item version used a 7-point response scale (did not experience at all = 1, experienced very intensely = 7; alpha = .86). The scale was used to verify that love-induction manipulations (self-reflective writing and emotion-laden ads) successfully elevated state love relative to other positive emotion conditions. Items were drawn from the existing emotions literature without explicit attribution. The scale is from the same paper as the State Happiness Scale (id:619) and should be used alongside it when differentiating specific positive emotions in prosocial consumption research.
Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.
Two versions exist: a 2-item version (love, affection) with a 9-point scale (0–8) and a 3-item version (love, affection, closeness) with a 7-point scale (1–7); researchers should select the version that matches their response format constraints. The source of the items was not explicitly stated by Cavanaugh et al. (2015), who noted only that items were drawn from the literature. Validity was not formally discussed, but successful manipulation checks in both pilot tests provide limited predictive validity evidence. This scale measures state love as a momentary emotion — distinct from dispositional or trait love and from brand love (id:249). For research on specific positive emotions and prosocial behaviour, use together with the State Happiness Scale (id:619), which was developed in the same study.
Cavanaugh, L. A., Bettman, J. R., & Luce, M. F. (2015). Feeling love and doing more for distant others: Specific positive emotions differentially affect prosocial consumption. Journal of Marketing Research, 52(5), 657–673.
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