Abnormality as a positive characteristic: The development and validation of a scale measuring need for uniqueness.

Abstract

Defines need for uniqueness as a positive striving for abnormality relative to other people. Recent research regarding situational determinants of uniqueness motivation is described, and a dispositional individual-differences measure of need for uniqueness is presented. The development of the Uniqueness Scale aims at insuring construct validity as a guide for the item selection. The internal reliabilities, item-remainder coefficients, test–retest reliabilities, cross-validation information, factor analysis, and discriminant validation data are presented, and all meet the normal psychometric criteria expected of an individual-differences measure. Additionally, 8 separate validational studies, conducted with a total of 1,523 US and Israeli college students, are presented. (28 ref)

Culture, gender, and self: A perspective from individualism-collectivism research.

“…In Japan, his early version with 10 items (Yamaguchi, 1994) was found to correlate positively with sensitivity to rejection and affiliative tendency (Mehrabian & Ksionzky, 1974; a Japanese translation), positively with public self-consciousness but not significantly with private self-consciousness (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss, 1975; a Japanese translation), positively with self-monitoring (Snyder, 1974; a Japanese translation), and negatively with need for uniqueness (Snyder & Fromkin, 1977; a Japanese translation). His extended 14-item scale correlated positively with sensitivity to rejection and affiliative tendency and negatively with need for uniqueness in Japan, Korea, and the United States (Yamaguchi et al, in press).…”

Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity Signaling and Product Domains

“…The most well-cited drive approach in consumer behavior and psychology, the uniqueness literature (Fromkin 1970;Snyder and Fromkin 1980), contends that individuals experience a negative emotional reaction when they feel overly similar to others. Uniqueness research has focused on temporary situational pressures and stable individual differences.…”

“…Scholars across the social sciences have argued that people have a drive to be different (Brewer 1991;Snyder and Fromkin 1980;see Vignoles, Chryssochoou, and Breakwell [2000] for a review). The most well-cited drive approach in consumer behavior and psychology, the uniqueness literature (Fromkin 1970;Snyder and Fromkin 1980), contends that individuals experience a negative emotional reaction when they feel overly similar to others.…”

“…They suggest that individuals with higher needs for uniqueness prefer unique products Tian and McKenzie 2001) or that when situational pressures make individuals feel overly similar, people seek ways of achieving a sense of difference (Snyder and Fromkin 1980).…”

Determinants of Consumers' Perceived Trust in IT-Ecosystems

“…Therefore, the more unique a product or service is perceived to be and the more expensive it is compared to usual standards, the more valuable it becomes [106]. In addition, the functional value of uniqueness also strengthens the individual's need to be unique and set himself apart from the social environment within which he or she is embedded [101]. Individuals' desire for differentiation and exclusivity can only be fulfilled when the consumption and use of a certain technology or service is prevalent in a certain group [65], [108], [109].…”