Do All Dimensions of Sustainable Consumption Lead to Psychological Well-Being? Empirical Evidence from Young Consumers

Carrero, Isabel; Martínez, Carmen Valor; Redondo, Raquel Fidalgo

doi:10.1007/s10806-019-09818-8

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…This share of students accounts for almost six in ten students or nearly 60%. These results somewhat align with previous research that has found no link between happiness and sustainability (Carrero et al , 2020) and academic performance and sustainability (Al-Naqbi and Alshannag, 2018). These findings have implications for higher education institutions when fostering sustainability.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Other research has suggested that different sustainability behaviors may be differently associated with happiness (Carrero et al , 2020; Schmitt et al , 2018). Using the British Household Panel Survey, for example, Ferrer-i-Carbonell and Gowdy (2007) have reported a positive relationship between environmental concern (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…concern about biodiversity) and subjective well-being, but a negative relationship with regard to concern about ozone pollution. Likewise, Carrero et al (2020) examined the association between three dimensions of sustainable consumption: purchasing, simplifying and activism, and six markers of well-being among consumers. It was found that happiness was mainly derived from simplifying behaviors, whereas engaging in activism was associated with lower levels of psychological well-being.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Individual-level characteristics of environmental sustainability among students in a higher education institution: the role of happiness and academic performance

Giannetti

Velázquez

Perkins

et al. 2021

IJSHE

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Purpose Students play an unequivocal role in sustainable universities as they are theorized to embody the mission of a sustainable university through a sustainable lifestyle and spread sustainability practices during their professional careers. Despite this, it is not well known how or why students come to embody a sustainable lifestyle. This study aims to better understand the relationship between happiness, academic achievement and sustainability behaviors among the student population in a Mexican higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach In a questionnaire study, engineering and psychology university students at a large public university in northwestern Mexico answered questions regarding their environmental sustainability behaviors, happiness and academic performance. A stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain the sample population that best represents the entire population. After chi-square tests, it was confirmed that the three variables were independent of one another. Therefore, a series of correspondence analyses were conducted to examine clusters or patterns that could indicate relationships among the three variables. Findings The main finding from this work was that the happiest and most academically astute participants were only slightly environmentally sustainable or not sustainable at all. The lack of environmental sustainability in students from one of the most top-rank sustainable universities in Mexico does not align with previous sustainability reports. External factors to the university, such as cultural values and extreme weather conditions, may have influenced students’ sustainability behaviors. Research limitations/implications As with any other questionnaire study, the provided data is subject to interpretation, judgment and bias. In addition, the environmental and happiness index used in this study are not free of criticizing, and some author had disputed its efficacy. Finally, this study’s findings did not determine any causality or directionality between any of the latent variables. However, causality and directionally between environmental sustainability-happiness and happiness-academic performance have to be found in both directions. Practical implications Despite the unsustainability of students in this study, this study has several contributions. First, it provides an evaluation of a sustainable university from the perspectives and behaviors of students. The views of students as they relate to the complexities and visions of a sustainable university have remained relatively underexamined. Second, these analyses point to specific sustainability-oriented challenges and inadvertent barriers (e.g. extreme weather patterns) toward the embodiment of a sustainable lifestyle. These challenges and barriers suggest that sustainable universities need to address the dynamic changes inherent in sustainable development. Finally, this study indicates that the link between happiness, academic performance and sustainability may be more complicated and driven by cultural and structural barriers. The issue of barriers, as they relate to sustainability behaviors, is highly relevant and presents important opportunities and questions for future research. Originality/value This study provides an evaluation of a sustainable university from the perspectives and behaviors of students. Students’ views as they relate to the complexities and visions of a sustainable university have remained relatively underexamined. Second, these analyses point to specific sustainability-oriented challenges and barriers as they relate to the embodiment of a sustainable lifestyle. These challenges and barriers suggest that sustainable universities need to address the dynamic changes inherent in sustainable development. Finally, this study indicates that the link between happiness, academic performance and sustainability may be more complicated and driven by cultural and structural barriers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Individual-level characteristics of environmental sustainability among students in a higher education institution: the role of happiness and academic performance

Giannetti

Velázquez

Perkins

et al. 2021

IJSHE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To cope with stereotypes and denigration, consumers reduce their willingness to demonstrate their moral virtue: they tend to avoid or delay their sustainable choice to limit distress and prefer suboptimal choices (Becker, 2021). Consumers experience a reduction in post‐choice confidence, or use sustainable products secretly to avoid embarrassment, shame, or disapproval, and, in some cases, abandon their sustainable activities (Antonetti & Maklan, 2014; Carrero et al, 2020; Meenakshi, 2020). Unsustainable consumers also compromise their own subsequent choices (Zane et al, 2016): when consumers compare themselves with more ethical consumers and denigrate them, they ultimately become less committed to their own ethical values, which decreases the likelihood of them consuming sustainable brands in the future.…”

Section: Results From the Thematic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other cases, sustainable consumers may feel forced to revert to less sustainable products, leading to a sense of discomfort and moral anxiety (Carrington et al, 2015), and the self-perceptions of being hypocritical (Szmigin et al, 2009). Clashes between consumption choices are exacerbated by denigration from other consumers that may compromise social relationships (Carrero et al, 2020), causing stress and frustration in the short term, and even lower satisfaction with life and psychological well-being (Carrero et al, 2020) in the long term.…”

Section: Emotional Aversive States Related To Self-perceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When sustainability backfires: A review on the unintended negative side‐effects of product and service sustainability on consumer behavior

Acuti

Pizzetti

Dolničar

2022

Psychology and Marketing

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The existential need for more sustainable production and consumption has attracted substantial scholarly interest, which has focused on the positive outcomes of corporate sustainability. Negative side‐effects have been largely neglected. This study contributes (1) by synthesizing past research into such negative side‐effects from a diverse set of business disciplines; (2) by conceptualizing—for the first time—unintended negative side‐effects of product and service sustainability; and (3) by developing a research agenda guiding researchers in addressing the most important knowledge gaps. The synthesis of 94 articles identifies three main cognitive mechanisms (information elaboration, product perception bias, and self‐perception) and several emotionally aversive states (anxiety, shame, guilt, regret, distress, reduced enjoyment, frustration, discomfort, stress, and embarrassment) that are responsible for unintended negative side‐effects resulting from product and service sustainability. Immediate managerial implications from this study include the critical importance of simple corporate sustainable communication that does not require consumers to dedicate substantial cognitive resources. Important future research directions include the investigation of the effects of green hushing and the development and testing of practical ways to help companies to avoid the sustainability liability trap, which leads to reduced demand because of sustainable features of products or services.

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Appealing to Gen Z with Mother Nature for sustainable consumption: With mediation of psychological closeness to nature and consequence of psychological well‐being

Jeong

2023

J of Consumer Behaviour

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Although Gen Z consumers show greater concern about sustainability than other generational cohorts, specific investigations into their sustainable consumption regarding their perceptions towards nature are relatively understudied. To address this gap, this research examines the way Gen Z consumers view nature and engage in sustainable consumption. Through a cross‐sectional survey in the U.S., the study finds that the individual tendency to anthropomorphize nature contributes to shaping psychological closeness to nature. Furthermore, nature anthropomorphism enhances sustainable consumption, and this is mediated by consumer perception of psychological closeness to nature. Additionally, sustainable consumption leads to psychological well‐being. These findings highlight that the extent to which Gen Z consumers find humanness in nature contributes to sustainable consumption by enhancing a feeling of being close to nature and this process results in the enhancement of psychological well‐being. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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Do All Dimensions of Sustainable Consumption Lead to Psychological Well-Being? Empirical Evidence from Young Consumers

Cited by 15 publications

References 83 publications

Individual-level characteristics of environmental sustainability among students in a higher education institution: the role of happiness and academic performance

Individual-level characteristics of environmental sustainability among students in a higher education institution: the role of happiness and academic performance

When sustainability backfires: A review on the unintended negative side‐effects of product and service sustainability on consumer behavior

Appealing to Gen Z with Mother Nature for sustainable consumption: With mediation of psychological closeness to nature and consequence of psychological well‐being

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