Utilizing psychological distances of hedonic phrases to develop a Korean hedonic scale

In this study, psychological distances of various hedonic phrases used in Korean hedonic scales were measured. Two hundred and twenty consumers measured the psychological distances of 42 hedonic phrases used in Korean hedonic scales utilizing a magnitude estimation method. In addition, usage frequency of each hedonic phrase was surveyed. The hedonic phrases were categorized into positive, negative, and neutral phrases, and the psychological magnitudes of 42 hedonic phrases were estimated. Results show that attention must be given in selecting hedonic phrases when conducting cross-cultural studies. For instance, a couple of translated phrases were rarely used in daily life and a Korean label of “” corresponding to “like moderately” was perceived closer to neutral than “like” without any adverb. English hedonic phrases translated to the target country language without any validation can be misleading.

► The psychological distances of Korean hedonic phrases are measured.
► Sound validation is required when translating ballots in cross-cultural study.
► Two types of 9-point hedonic scales using Korean hedonic labels are proposed.