Marketing & consumer behavior
Green trust scale: what it is and how to measure it
- Concept
- Green Trust
- Field
- Marketing & consumer behavior
- Scales in the library
- 1
- Items
- 5
Green trust is the degree to which consumers believe a brand's environmental commitments, claims and performance. Chen (2010) proposed this concept, along with green brand image and green satisfaction, as three drivers of green brand equity, together with a 5-item scale. Green trust is often a mediator between green marketing or greenwashing and green purchase intention, which suits studies on organic food or sustainable fashion in Vietnam.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Trust (GT) Green trust scale | Chen (2010) | 5 | Likert 7-point | 5 items, unidimensional, 7-point scale. |
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.
Green Trust (GT) · Green trust scale
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| GT1 | You feel that this brand’s environmental commitments are generally reliable. |
| GT2 | You feel that this brand’s environmental performance is generally dependable. |
| GT3 | You feel that this brand’s environmental argument is generally trustworthy. |
| GT4 | This brand’s environmental concern meets your expectations. |
| GT5 | This brand keeps its promises and commitments regarding environmental protection. |
Source: Chen (2010). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Green trust scale.
Tips
- Ask about a specific brand or product; generic green trust tends to produce vague answers.
- A common model: perceived greenwashing lowers green trust, and green trust raises purchase intention.
- Distinguish green trust from environmental concern: one is trust in the brand, the other is the consumer's own attitude.
- The original scale has 7 points.
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 green trust differ from ordinary trust?
Green trust only considers the brand's environmental promises and performance, while ordinary trust considers general reliability.
What role does green trust usually play in a model?
Usually a mediator between green marketing or greenwashing and purchase intention or green loyalty.
How many items does the scale have?
5 items, following Chen (2010).
References
- Chen, Y.-S. (2010). The drivers of green brand equity: Green brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(2), 307–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0223-9