Measuring the bandwagon effect: Development of a generalized bandwagon luxury motivation scale

Abstract

This study presents a reliable, valid, and generalizable four-item unidimensional scale that captures general bandwagon luxury motivation. After a thorough review of the bandwagon luxury literature, the authors developed an initial set of items which were then reviewed by academic experts. The scale was tested in a series of four studies to refine the scale and demonstrate its reliability and validity: Study 1 was conducted with a student sample in the Southeast, Study 2 with a student referral sample of adults in the Midwest, Study 3 with a national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States, and Study 4 with another national Qualtrics panel sample in the United States that included only those who had bought or consumed a luxury product in the past 12 months. Study 4 was done to corroborate the evidence from Study 3 with a sample of luxury consumers. The generalized bandwagon luxury motivation scale is positively related to status consumption motivation, congruity with one's internal self, a preference for visible luxury brands, and conspicuous consumption. It is negatively related to the inconspicuous luxury motivation of being unknown to the masses and independent self-construal. This research contributes to the literature by developing a generalized scale to measure the luxury bandwagon effect that is not limited to one luxury product domain.