A Psychometric Examination of Steenkamp and Baumgartner Change Seeker Index Scale in Indian Context

Abstract

This study has attempted to do a validation exercise of the Steenkamp and Baumgartner (1995) shortened 7 item change seeker index scale (a measure of optimum stimulation level) in an Eastern emerging market like India. This study has attempted to analyse the factor structure of the scale in India where very limited published academic research is available on this topic. The psychometric properties of the change seeker index scale have been assessed using (corrected) item total correlations, principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Data has been collected through systematic sampling method from three hundred ninety respondents during February to April 2010 period in New Delhi. The study highlights the importance of all the seven items in the scale. Single factor has emerged in principal components analysis which explains 41.80% of variance in the data. The data indicates a satisfactory fit for the one factor model of 7 item change seeker index scale in the confirmatory factor analysis. The limitation of the paper lies in the fact that the data has been collected only in New Delhi, India which is the national capital. This shortened scale can be effectively used to measure change seeker index in Indian context for potential application areas like adoption of fashionable clothing, planning of atmospherics at organised retailing stores, travel and tourism destination choices and mobile commerce intentions among others.