The Emotional Attachment Scale (EAS) is a tool used in media and marketing research to measure emotional attachment and brand loyalty. The scale was developed by Thomson, MacInnis, and Park (2005) and has been widely used in various fields, including advertising, consumer behavior, and psychology.
The EAS consists of three sub-scales: affection, connection, and passion. Each sub-scale includes five items, resulting in a total of 15 items. Participants rate their level of agreement with each statement on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).
The affection sub-scale measures the emotional bond that a person has with a brand or product. The connection sub-scale assesses the extent to which a person feels a personal connection with the brand or product. The passion sub-scale evaluates the intensity of a person’s emotional attachment to the brand or product.
Example statements from the EAS include:
- “I feel affection for this brand/product”
- “This brand/product is personally meaningful to me”
- “I would be very upset if this brand/product were no longer available”
To score the EAS, the responses to the five items in each sub-scale are summed. For the affection and connection sub-scales, higher scores indicate a stronger emotional attachment to the brand or product. For the passion sub-scale, higher scores indicate a more intense emotional attachment to the brand or product.
However, it is important to note that some of the items in the EAS are reverse-scored, meaning that a response of 1 is equivalent to a response of 7 on the Likert scale. For example, the statement “I would feel very upset if this brand/product were no longer available” is reverse-scored, so a response of 7 indicates a weaker emotional attachment, while a response of 1 indicates a stronger emotional attachment.
While the EAS has been widely used and validated in previous research, it is not without criticisms. Some researchers have argued that the EAS is limited in its ability to capture the complexity of emotional attachment and brand loyalty, and that additional measures may be needed to fully understand these constructs (Batra, Ahuvia, & Bagozzi, 2012). Others have suggested that the EAS may be too focused on the affective aspects of attachment and may not fully capture the behavioral aspects of brand loyalty (Oliver, 1999).
Overall, the EAS can provide valuable insights into consumers’ emotional attachment to brands and products, but it is important to use it in conjunction with other measures to fully understand these constructs.
the complete questionnaire for the Emotional Attachment Scale (EAS):
Affection Sub-Scale:
- I feel affection for this brand/product.
- This brand/product makes me feel good.
- I have warm feelings toward this brand/product.
- I am emotionally attached to this brand/product.
- I love this brand/product.
Connection Sub-Scale:
- This brand/product is personally meaningful to me.
- This brand/product is part of my life.
- I can relate to this brand/product.
- This brand/product reflects who I am.
- This brand/product is important to me.
Passion Sub-Scale:
- I am enthusiastic about this brand/product.
- This brand/product excites me.
- I have a strong emotional bond with this brand/product.
- I am deeply committed to this brand/product.
- I would be very upset if this brand/product were no longer available.
Participants rate their level of agreement with each statement on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).
To score the EAS, the responses to the five items in each sub-scale are summed. For the affection and connection sub-scales, higher scores indicate a stronger emotional attachment to the brand or product. For the passion sub-scale, higher scores indicate a more intense emotional attachment to the brand or product. However, it is important to note that some of the items in the EAS are reverse-scored, meaning that a response of 1 is equivalent to a response of 7 on the Likert scale.