A Psychometric Development of a Test for Consumer Alienation from the Marketplace

Abstract

Alienation has interested philosophers and researchers for many years, but only recently has empirical study been directed toward consumer alienation from the marketplace. The author reports the development of a test to measure alienation from the marketplace based on psychometric principles. The findings suggest that a reliable and valid measure has been constructed. The consumer alienation scale was found to be unidimensional rather than consisting of identifiable subscales. In addition, areas for future research that will aid the marketing manager in applying knowledge of consumer alienation to decision making are discussed.