2004/05/01 by Hester van Herk, H. van Herk, Ype H. Poortinga +2
Business, Management and Accounting · Psychology · #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Cultural Differences and Values #Customer Service Quality and Loyalty
paper · doi:10.1177/0022022104264126
openalex publication_date 2004/05/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
In cross-cultural studies with social variables such as values or attitudes, it is often assumed that differences in scores can be compared at face value. However, response styles like acquiescence and extreme response style may affect answers, particularly on rating scales. In three sets of data from marketing studies, each with representative samples fromat least threeoutofsix countries(Greece,Italy, Spain,France,Germany, andthe United Kingdom), these two response styles were found to be more present in the Mediterranean than in Northwestern Europe. Evidence for response style effects was not only found in response distributions on rating scales, but also in discrepancies of these distributions with national consumer statistics and self-reported actual behavior.