Product symbolic status: development of a scale to assess different product types

• Main Author: Wright, James Arthur
• Other Authors: Samuelson, Charles D.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: Texas A&M University 2006
• Subjects: Product Symbolism; Symbolic Status; Involvement; Reference Group; Value-expressive; Scale Development; Consumer Perceptions; Conspicuous Consumption
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/4222

The literature on status, product symbolism, product involvement, and reference group influence is reviewed to conceptually define the Product Symbolic Status construct. The research consisted of two studies (N = 524) that examined 17 different product types to develop and validate the Product Symbolic Status (PSS) scale. The PSS scale is comprised of four facets: self-concept, impression management, lifestyle, and social visibility. The PSS scale consists of nine items which produced an average reliability of α = .90 and showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity in MTMM analyses with the constructs of product value-expressiveness, product involvement, and product exclusivity/luxury. The PSS scale can also be used for brand symbolic status research. The marketing and advertising research implications are discussed.