The influence of contextual cues on the perceived status of consumption-reducing behavior

Brooks, Jeremy S. and Wilson, Charles ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8164-3566 (2015) The influence of contextual cues on the perceived status of consumption-reducing behavior. Ecological Economics, 117. pp. 108-117. ISSN 0921-8009

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Abstract

The question of whether and when behaviors that reduce overall consumption are associated with low status has not been adequately explored. Previous research suggests that some low cost environmentally-friendly behaviors are stigmatized, but has not accounted for the impact of contextual information on perceived status. Here, we use costly signaling theory to describe why consumption-reducing behaviors may be associated with low status and when and how this perception might change. We report two empirical studies in the U.S. that use a large sample of graduate students (N = 447) to examine the effects of contextual information on how consumption-reducing behaviors are perceived. We then explore the perceived appropriateness of consumption-reducing behavior for signaling status relative to alternative non-environmental behaviors. Using linear mixed-effects models, we find that information indicating that consumption-reducing behavior is a choice results in higher perceived status. However, we find that consumption-reducing behaviors are perceived to be less appropriate for conveying status than consumption-intensive behaviors. The environmental orientation of the respondent has little effect on perceptions of status in both studies. These results provide insights into the dynamic, evolutionary process by which sustainable consumption might become more socially acceptable and the social factors that may inhibit this process.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sustainable consumption ,materialism ,status ,environmental behavior ,conspicuous consumption ,costly signaling
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	12 Nov 2015 15:00
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2022 02:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/55133
DOI:	10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.06.015

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