Word-of-Mouth (Social Benefits)

What it measures

A three-item Likert-type scale designed to measure a person's beliefs regarding the potential consequences of recommending a certain product to a specific individual.

Response format

7-point Likert scale

Scale items

• My recommendation will lead my friend/acquaintance to feel that I have genuine concern for her/him.
• My recommendation will help my friend/acquaintance choose the best product.
• My recommendation will lead to maintaining/developing a good relationship with my friend/acquaintance.

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

Usage notes & scoring

Reported alpha coefficients range from .84 to .89 across samples or studies. 3-item subscale capturing perceived social benefits of word-of-mouth recommendation, comprising three dimensions: altruism/empathy (genuine concern for the receiver), functional utility (helping choose the best product), and relationship maintenance (maintaining/developing a good relationship). Used to demonstrate that financial referral rewards can undermine intrinsic prosocial WOM motivations. α = .82 reported in primary study. Originally attributed to Ryu (2010, personal correspondence); correct source confirmed as Ryu & Feick (2007).

Citation

Ryu, G., & Feick, L. (2007). A penny for your thoughts: Referral reward programs and referral likelihood. Journal of Marketing, 71(1), 84–94.

Keywords