Status Consumption and Moral Identity–Measurement Model

Description

The Status Consumption and Moral Identity–Measurement Model (Taşçıoğlu, 2025) was created to examine the relationship between moral identity and sustainable consumption, while also exploring how status consumption may moderate this relationship. The questionnaire was built utilizing constructs previously validated in existing literature. Collectivist mindset was measured using items adapted from Yen, Wang, and Yang’s (2017) study. The moral identity scale developed by Reed, Aquino, and Levy (2007) was used to measure moral identity internalization and symbolization. Scales for sustainable consumption behavior from Dermody et al. (2018) were used to measure buying and curtailment behaviors. Status consumption was measured using the established scale from Eastman, Goldsmith, and Flynn (1999). To improve the reliability of the questionnaire, moral identity items with an item-total correlation coefficient below 0.3 were removed. The questionnaire was originally prepared in English and then translated into Turkish using a back-translation process. Inconsistencies were resolved, and minor adjustments were made to create the final Turkish version. A pretest was then conducted. The psychometric properties of the data were evaluated using a convenience sample of undergraduate students in Turkey. Results pertaining to reliability, validity, and factor structure were reported.

Purpose

The purpose of this measurement model is to assess collectivist mindset, moral identity, sustainable consumption, and status consumption within the Turkish context.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Instrument

• Instrument Type: Inventory/Questionnaire

• Format: Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale.

• Language Available: Turkish

• Language Present: English

• Population Group: Human; Male; Female

• Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs); Thirties (30-39 yrs); Middle Age (40-64 yrs); Aged (65 yrs & older)

• Population Details:

  • Location: Turkey

  • Respondents: Undergraduate Students

• Test Methodology: Test Validity; Construct Validity; Convergent Validity; Discriminant Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Measurement Model; Structural Equation Modeling

• Administration Method: Electronic

Reliability

Composite Reliability: Composite Reliability (CR) values were higher than the recommended cutoff point of 0.7 (Hair et al. 2021).

Validity

Convergent and Discriminant Validity: AVE values for each construct were greater than the cutoff value of 0.5 suggested by Fornell and Larcker (1981). The HTMT levels were also below the cutoff value of 0.85, as suggested by Kline (2023).

Factor Analysis

Confirmatory Factor Analysis: The results of the CFA met the criteria for an acceptable model fit recommended by Baumgartner and Homburg (1996) and Hu and Bentler (1999) (CFI = 0.94, IFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08, p 0.001). Common Method Bias: Cumulative variance extracted by one factor was 39.7%, which is lower than the 50% threshold recommended by Podsakoff and Organ (1986).

Authors

• Taşçıoğlu, Mertcan

  • Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

  • Affiliation: Department of Management, Istanbul Medeniyet University

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: Istanbul Medeniyet University, Department of Management, Dumlupinar Mh. D-100 Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey, 34720, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

• Permissions: Contact Publisher

• Commercial Use: No

• Fee: No

• Test Year: 2025

Keywords

Collectivist Mindset; Common Method Bias; Composite Reliability; Moral Identity Internalization; Moral Identity Symbolization; Status Consumption; Sustainable Consumption Buying; Sustainable Consumption Curtailment; Consumer Attitudes; Consumer Behavior; Morality; Consumer Ethics; Consumer Measures; Pro Environmental Behavior; Sustainability

Reference’s

Taşçıoğlu, M. (2025). Status consumption effect on moral identity – Sustainable consumption relationship: Bittersweet, or bitter-only? Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 37(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2024.2355221

Items of the Status Consumption and Moral Identity Measurement Model

• Number of items: This measure consists of 19 items.

• Factors and Subscales: Constructs: Collectivist Mindset; Moral Identity Internalization; Moral Identity Symbolization; Sustainable Consumption Buying; Sustainable Consumption Curtailment; Status Consumption.

Collectivist Mindset
It is important for me to readily help others in need of help
I could do what is good for most of the people in the group, even if it means that the individual with receive less
Sharing with others is important

Moral Identity Internalization
It would make me feel good to be a person who has these characteristics
Being someone who has these characteristics is an important part of who I am
I strongly desire to have these characteristics

Moral Identity Symbolization
The types of things I do in my spare time (e.g., hobbles) clearly identify me as having these characteristics
The kinds of books and magazines that I read identify me as having these characteristics
I am actively involved in activities that communicate to others that I have these characteristics

Sustainable Consumption Buying
Buy organic
Buy environmentally-friendly products
Buy products using reduced packaging

Sustainable Consumption Curtailment
Turn off lights you are not using
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth
Save water by taking shorter showers

Status Consumption
I would buy a product just because it has status
I am interested in new products with status
I would pay more for a product if it had status
A product is more valuable to me if it has some snob appeal