Leisa Reinecke Flynn

Opinion leaders and opinion seekers: Two new measurement scales

The authors describe the development and validation of multiple-item self-report scales to measure opinion leadership and opinion seeking for specific product or service domains. The concepts of opinion leadership and opinion seeking are defined, previous attempts to measure them are critiqued, and the scale development process is described. Five separate studies using data from 1,128 student and adult respondents provide ample evidence for the unidimensionality, the reliability, and the construct and criterion-related validity of the resulting scales. Finally, implications for consumer theory and marketing practice are discussed.

A Short, Reliable Measure of Subjective Knowledge

Abstract Consumer knowledge is important both to theoretical models of consumer behavior and to marketing practice. There are three distinct but related ways in which consumer knowledge is conceptualized and measured: objective knowledge, subjective knowledge, and experience. This paper describes the development and validation of a short, reliable, and valid self-report measure of subjective knowledge that is applicable to a variety of data collection methods and subject areas. It can be used to test consumer theories and in practical applications. Multiple studies using data from 1,178 subjects show that the scale is unidimensional, internally consistent, valid, free from methodological confounds, and easy to use.

Status Consumption in Consumer Behavior: Scale Development and Validation

This paper describes the development and validation of a short, reliable, and valid self-report scale to measure status consumption, the tendency to purchase goods and services for the status or social prestige that they confer on their owners. Items were written to reflect the conceptual meaning of the construct. Six studies were conducted to purify the scale and demonstrate its unidimensionality, internal consistency, validity, and freedom from response bias. The resultant scale measures an individual difference construct distinct from social class or materialism. Differences in self-reported status consumption are also shown to be positively correlated with ownership of brands reputed to be higher in status than competing brands.

Identifying Innovators in Consumer Product Markets

Describes the use of a short, valid, reliable self‐report scale to measure consumer innovativeness. Suitable for mail questionnaire or personal interview, this six‐item, Likert‐type scale enables marketers and researchers to identify accurately the potential earliest buyers in a specific product‐market category. Used a survey of 135 adult women to show how the scale performs by giving valuable insights into the fashionable clothing market.

Innovative Consumers and Market Mavens

Consumer researchers describe two types of consumers they term “the consumer innovator” and “the market maven.” The former are eager buyers of new products; the second are especially knowledgeable about shopping and buying. The present study examined the relationship between these two constructs as part of a nomological network analysis. We used data from 204 student consumers to test hypothesized relationships among scores on the market maven scale and a measure of innovativeness with opinion leadership, price sensitivity, and self-reports of time and money spent shopping. The analysis showed positive correlations among the measures, but there is clear evidence that the consumer innovator and market maven concepts are separate and distinct. The measure of consumer innovativeness predicted the behavioral criteria better than the market maven scale did. Both concepts may be important to retail managers as they develop strategies for new products.

Theory and measurement of consumer innovativeness

Presents findings validating French and German versions of the domain specific innovativeness scale or DSI, which was designed to measure consumer innovativeness for a specific product category. The data came from self‐administered surveys of 409 consumers in three countries: the USA (n = 121), Germany (n = 113), and France (n = 175). The study participants completed a questionnaire asking them to describe their wine‐related attitudes and behaviours. Data analysis showed that the DSI was unidimensional, high in internal consistency, positively correlated as hypothesised with wine usage (criterion validity), positively correlated as hypothesised with knowledge of and involvement with wine and uncorrelated with opinion seeking for wine (nomological validity), and unaffected by social desirability and acquiescence response styles.

A Validation of the Goldsmith and Hofacker Innovativeness Scale

This paper reports a study validating a new self-report scale used to measure innovativeness or the tendency to adopt an innovation soon after it appears in a specific domain. Data obtained from 247 undergraduate business students showed that the 6-item scale was unidimensional and free from acquiescent responding. Rock music innovativeness was positively associated with opinion leadership for, involvement with, and both perceived and real knowledge of rock music. Innovativeness was also positively associated with the following: rock music magazine readership, time spent shopping for rock records, money spent for rock records, and time spent listening to rock music. These findings demonstrate both nomo-logical and criterion-related validity of the new scale.

Four subtle sins in scale development: some suggestions for strengthening the current paradigm

Despite continuing advances in statistical methods, problems in scalar measures persist. This paper reports the findings on a review of marketing scale batteries developed since the publication of Churchills (1979) paper outlining a method for reliable and valid scale development. The authors found four problem areas. These are discussed and solutions suggested.

Identifying Innovators in Consumer Service Markets

This article describes the use of a short, valid, reliable self-report scale to measure consumer innovativeness in a service industry context, thereby identifying the potential earliest buyers in a specific service-market category. Suitable for mail questionnaire or personal interview, this six-item, Likert-type scale enables marketers and researchers to identify these important consumers prior to introducing any specific service innovation. This study used a survey of 185 adult men and women to demonstrate how the scale performs by giving valuable insights into the travel services market

Status Consumption and Price Sensitivity

This paper describes a study of status consumption and price sensitivity. The pervasive desire for social prestige motivates consumers to pay higher prices for goods that confer status. We suggest that three constructs—involvement, innovativeness, and brand loyalty—mediate this relationship. We test a model using data from 409 U.S. college students. Status consumption does influence price sensitivity; and this influence is largely, but not totally, mediated by involvement, innovativeness, and brand loyalty. The results are consistent with previous studies and theories regarding these variables and attest to the importance of status consumption in consumer behavior. Understanding how such psychological constructs interact to produce their effects improves consumer theory and marketing practice.