Construct heterogeneity and proliferation in advertising research

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study of measurement practice in leading advertising journals. The focus is on heterogeneity in measurement operationalizations of the same construct and construct proliferation (i.e. when constructs have different names but overlapping content). These issues were addressed by analyzing the measurement operationalizations in all articles published in three leading advertising journals between 2012 and 2014. Results show considerable heterogeneity in the operationalizations of three common advertising constructs (ad credibility, ad irritation and perceived humour) for which almost every study used a unique operationalization. Results also show considerable construct proliferation as different names were used for the same constructs and there was overlap in the operationalizations of several advertising constructs. The paper offers a discussion of implications for advertising research and suggests steps that can be taken towards improving measurement practice.

Keywords:

• Measurement
• measurement scales
• psychometrics
• C-OAR-SE
• validity
• reliability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 We are grateful to one of the anonymous reviewers for drawing this to our attention.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lars Bergkvist

Lars Bergkvist is a professor of marketing in the College of Business at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. His primary research interests are advertising, leveraged marketing communications, and research methodology.

 

Tobias Langner

Tobias Langner is a professor of marketing in the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics at the Bergische University Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany. His primary research interests are advertising, brand management, and construct measurement.