Staying in the Middle or Avoiding Extremes? A Test of the Effect of Rating Scale Length in Advertising Research with Chinese Consumers

Given the rapid growth of many Asian economies in recent years, Asian advertising research is attracting increasing attention. However, systematic examinations of how to move this body of research forward from both theoretical and methodological perspectives are lacking. This study discusses a method-related issue in Asian advertising research, specifically focusing on the rating scale length used in measuring consumer attitude and behavioral intention. The experiment examines whether using different rating scale lengths (i.e., 1–3, 1–5, 1–7, and 1–9) will produce inconsistent research results due to the influence of Confucianism on East Asian consumers’ response style. Based on the experimental findings, a theoretical discussion of how to consider the cultural impact on measurement in an East Asian advertising context is provided.