Style of Processing Scale

What it measures

The SOP is the foundational consumer behaviour measure of individual differences in the preference for visual versus verbal modes of information processing. Childers, Houston, and Heckler (1985) operationalised the distinction between imagers (who naturally encode and retrieve information in visual-pictorial formats) and verbalisers (who process and store information in linguistic-propositional formats). High visualisers benefit more from pictorial advertising elements, product imagery, and concrete visual cues; high verbalisers respond more strongly to text-based arguments and product attribute descriptions. The SOP moderates the effectiveness of ad modality, imagery instructions, and the impact of concrete versus abstract product descriptions. Extensively used in advertising research, sensory marketing, packaging design, and digital communication.

Representative items

• I prefer to read a map rather than follow spoken directions. (Visual)
• I enjoy doing work that requires using words. (Verbal)
• I can easily visualise 3-D objects when reading directions. (Visual)
• I like to think in words rather than pictures. (Verbal)
• I prefer instructions that use pictures and diagrams rather than words. (Visual)

Citation

Childers, T.L., Houston, M.J., & Heckler, S.E. (1985). Measurement of individual differences in visual versus verbal information processing. Journal of Consumer Research, 11(4), 125–131.