Perceived quality scale: Dodds and Yoo & Donthu

Perceived quality is a consumer's subjective judgment of how good and reliable a product is, as distinct from its actual technical quality. Zeithaml (1988) saw it as an antecedent of perceived value; Aaker and Yoo and Donthu treat it as a component of brand equity. Common thesis topics in Vietnam include perceived quality of Vietnamese goods, organic food, cosmetics, and phones, and its effect on purchase intention or loyalty.

Comparing the scales

Items of each scale

Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or [brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.

Perceived Quality (PQ) · Willingness to buy scale

Code	Item
PQ1	The likelihood that the product would be reliable is (very high … very low).
PQ2	The workmanship of product would be (very high … very low).
PQ3	This product should be of (very good quality … very poor quality).
PQ4	The likelihood that this product is dependable is (very high … very low).
PQ5	This product would seem to be durable.

Source: Dodds, Monroe & Grewal (1991). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Willingness to buy scale.

Use in the survey kit

Perceived Quality (PQ) · Consumer-based brand equity

Code	Item
PQ1	The likely quality of [brand] is extremely high.
PQ2	The likelihood that [brand] would be functional is very high.

Source: Yoo & Donthu (2001). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Consumer-based brand equity.

Use in the survey kit

Quality Value (Functional Value, Performance/Quality) (QV) · Perceived value scale (PERVAL)

Code	Item
QV1	[Product] has consistent quality.
QV2	[Product] is well made.
QV3	[Product] has an acceptable standard of quality.
QV4 (R)	[Product] has poor workmanship.
QV5 (R)	[Product] would not last a long time.
QV6	[Product] would perform consistently.

Source: Sweeney & Soutar (2001). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived value scale (PERVAL).

Use in the survey kit

(R): reverse-coded item; recode before analysis. Perceived value scale (PERVAL): 1–7 scale: new score = 1 + 7 − score = 8 − score; 1–5 scale: new score = 1 + 5 − score = 6 − score.

Tips

• Dodds' scale uses the anchors 'very high ... very low'. When adding it to a questionnaire, make a high score mean high quality.
• Yoo and Donthu's scale has only 2 items. If you run CFA or PLS-SEM, add an item from Dodds' scale to reach 3 items.
• PERVAL items QV4 and QV5 are reverse items and must be reversed before analysis.
• State clearly whether the target is a product or a brand. The perceived quality of one phone model differs from the perceived quality of the whole brand.

Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How does perceived quality differ from service quality?

Perceived quality is usually used for tangible products and measured as a unidimensional concept. Service quality has several components such as reliability, responsiveness, and empathy.

Which variables does perceived quality affect?

Usually perceived value, satisfaction, purchase intention, and loyalty. In Dodds' model, perceived quality leads to perceived value and then to purchase intention.

Should I use Yoo and Donthu's 2-item scale?

You can if your model is about brand equity, but add at least 1 item to reach 3 items for factor analysis.