Conspicuous consumption orientation: Conceptualisation, scale development and validation

In this paper individual differences in conspicuous tendencies are examined. A new definition of the construct is proposed and, through critical evaluation of the extant literature, the need for a proper scale is posited. Then an extensive exercise is taken up to develop and validate the scale. The 11-item scale is found to be uni-dimensional, to have a factor structure that is generalisable across student and non-student samples, and has acceptable internal and test-retest reliabilities. The scale's validity is attested to by its theoretically tenable relationships with other personality measures. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.