Consumer Behavior

A Shortened Version of the Fashion Clothing Involvement Scale

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Abstract

Involvement refers to what the consumer views as the focal object that is a central part of his or her life, i.e., objects which are meaningful and engaging (O'Cass, 2000). Furthermore, involvement is conceptualized as enduring (e.g., Bloch, 1981). Fashion involvement refers to the extent of interest in and time, money, and attention spent on fashion product categories such as apparel (Park, Kim, & Forney, 2006). Consistently, fashion involvement has been identified as a significant construct in the context of fashion consumption. For example, [fashion] involvement has been identified as the heart of person-object relationships and relational variables most predictive of purchase behaviors (O'Cass, 2000). Several studies have noted negative consequences of excessive fashion involvement, such as compulsive buying behavior (Yurchisin & Johnson, 2004), hoarding behavior (Byun & Sternquist, 2011), and negative mood and dissatisfaction (Tiggemann, Polivy, & Hargreaves, 2009). O'Cass (2000) developed the widely used fashion clothing involvement (FCI) scale. According to O'Cass (2000), fashion clothing involvement consists of four sub-dimensions' product involvement, purchase decision involvement, advertising involvement, and consumption involvement. However, the scale is lengthy, consisting of 44 items. Longer scales may lead to boredom, frustration, and fatigue among research participants. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to develop a shorter version of the fashion clothing involvement scale. Statistical analyses were performed on the FCI scale to shorten it and, at the same time, not compromise reliability. Shorter versions of scales can be as valid as their longer, in-depth versions because they tend to eliminate item redundancy (Bergkvist & Rossiter, 2007).

How to Cite:

Manchiraju, S. & Damhorst, M. L., (2016) “A Shortened Version of the Fashion Clothing Involvement Scale”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 73(1).