Being green in a materialistic world: Consequences for subjective well‐being

Abstract

This paper explores the potential negative side‐effects of the sustainability movement in societies with large segments of materialistic consumers. Across three studies, there is evidence that a conflict between materialistic and green value profiles can arise in consumers. When it arises, it seems to be related to diminished well‐being. Study 1 shows that consumers with a higher value conflict (VC) experienced higher levels of stress. Consumers with higher degrees of stress then reported lower satisfaction with life. Study 2 reveals the underlying process by which this value conflict affects well‐being. The results suggest that the value conflict is related to a reduced clarity of consumers’ self‐concept (SCC), which in turn is related to increased levels of stress and a lower satisfaction with life. Results of Study 3 show that preference for consistency (PfC) serves as a boundary condition to this effect. The negative effect of VC on SCC is most pronounced among consumers high in PfC, while low PfC consumers seem to suffer less from the negative consequences of a conflict between green and materialistic values. Conceptual and public‐policy implications of these results are discussed.

Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Motivational Adoption Barriers and Solutions

“…Hence, PBMA can be seen as offering "best of both worlds" for them, similar to products described as healthful indulgences such as chocolate containing antioxidants [87]. At first glance, PBMA could therefore alleviate the stress flexitarians experience when they have to choose between meat and plant-based proteins [143]. However, sustainability is a complex concept and several means exist for attaining this goal, including buying locally or reducing meat consumption [80].…”

Subjective Well-Being in Higher Education: Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life and Subjective Vitality Scales in Spanish University Students

“…Sustainability has become one of the major concerns for all organizations, including higher education institutions, and has important relationships with both individual and community well-being [22,25,94,97]. Future research is needed to further explore this association in university students and to determine if the newly developed strategies in higher education regarding sustainability promotion have a significant effect on students' cognitive and affective well-being.…”

“…In recent years, several studies have further explored the link between subjective well-being and social, economic and environmental sustainability, and there is an increasing interest in exploring the relationship between sustainability and quality of life [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. For instance, Musa et al [25] designed a new instrument aimed to measure community well-being that fully integrated ecological, economic and social sustainability and found a significant relationship between the level of well-being and sustainable urban development, especially focusing on social sustainability.…”

“…Additionally, this population is more likely to suffer high levels of stress, depression and anxiety, which severely affect their subjective well-being and quality of life [30][31][32]. Among university students, the link between sustainability and subjective well-being is of particular interest, because higher education has been proposed as a predictor of post-materialistic goals and green values [1,33], and conflict between green and materialistic values is associated with higher degrees of stress and a lower subjective well-being [22]. Additionally, although university students consider psychosocial and social sustainability in particular core factors of subjective well-being, research regarding this topic is scarce [1,34,35].…”

Identity interplay: The importance and challenges of consumer research on multiple identities

“…Consumers low in self‐concept clarity (i.e., high identity conflict) may signal identities through polarizing self‐expressive products with bimodal online reviews (Rozenkrants et al., 2017) and may be threatened by the identity instability implied by changes to identity‐relevant subscriptions (Savary & Dhar, 2020). Perceived value conflict, such as the dichotomy of green consumption in a materialistic culture, may decrease self‐concept clarity, increase stress, and lower life satisfaction (Furchheim et al., 2020).…”