Scale Overview
The Impression Management Styles Scale – IMS was developed by Bolino, M. C., & Turnley, W. H. (1999). It is designed to measure Impression Management. The scale is intended for use with Working adults / Employees.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 22 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Self-Promotion, Ingratiation, Exemplification, Intimidation, Supplication.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Self-Promotion |
1,2,3,4 |
4 |
| Ingratiation |
5,6,7,8 |
4 |
| Exemplification |
9,10,11,12 |
4 |
| Intimidation |
13,14,15,16,17 |
5 |
| Supplication |
18,19,20,21,22 |
5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = never behave this way, 2 = very rarely behave this way, 3 = occasionally behave this way, 4 = sometimes behave this way, 5 = often behave this way.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 22 to 110. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low use of impression management strategies: 22 – 50
- Moderate use of impression management strategies: 51 – 80
- High use of impression management strategies: 81 – 110
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Self-Promotion (α=0.88-0.92), Ingratiation (α=0.80-0.91), Exemplification (α=0.76-0.81), Intimidation (α=0.84-0.89), Supplication (α=0.93).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.