Who Cares More About the Environment, Those with an Intrinsic, an Extrinsic, a Quest, or an Atheistic Religious Orientation?: Investigating the Effect of Religious Ad Appeals on Attitudes Toward the Environment

Abstract

There is a consensus among scientists that climate change is an existing, growing, and human-made threat to our planet. The topic is a divisive issue worldwide, including among people of faith. Little research has focused on the relationship between (non)religious belief and climate change. Hence, in Studies 1 and 2, the authors explore the impact of religious/non-religious orientations: intrinsic (religion as an end in itself), extrinsic (religion as a means to an end), quest (a journey toward religious understanding), and non-religious orientation (i.e., atheistic) on consumer attitudes toward the environment, focusing on recycling advertisements with (non)religious cues. Further, in Study 3, we examine the underlying causal mechanism of environmental identity and the moderating effect of political views on consumers’ lack of belief in climate change. The results show that religious people are less committed to the environment and climate change and that atheism positively affects recycling and climate change identity. The findings offer practical implications in that advertising campaigns need to be endorsed by religious leaders and channeled within the confines of the religious institutions they represent.

Religious Affiliation and Consumer Behavior toward Biodiversity Conservation in Europe

“…It is plausible to hypothesize that non-religious individuals, such as non-believers, agnostics, and atheists, may have different attitudes and behaviors toward the biodiversity vs. economic development dilemma compared to individuals who declare a religious affiliation. This hypothesis is supported by research suggesting that non-religious individuals are more likely to hold pro-environmental attitudes and engage in pro-environmental behaviors than religious individuals (Hope and Jones 2014; Arli et al 2022).…”

The moral foundations of cryptocurrency: evidence from Twitter and survey research

“…Political ideology represents a range of competing philosophies about life and how it should be lived ( Jost et al, 2009 ). Political ideology is also relevant in purchasing and investment contexts, where the individual’s political ideology often plays a pivotal role in shaping their brand-related attitudes, opinions, and behaviors ( Jung et al, 2017 ; Chan and Ilicic, 2019 ; Arli et al, 2022 ; Cui and van Esch, 2022 ; Harnish et al, 2022 ; Shewani and Chan, 2022 ). This comes about because contemporary consumption is a “primary arena in which political ideology is expressed and constructed” ( Crockett and Wallendorf, 2004 , p. 511).…”

Does Green Purchase Intention Mediate the Effect of Ethical Self Identity on Green Purchase?

“…In the end, something that is widely known as eco-friendly consumption has emerged (Arli et al, 2023;Oliver et al, 2023). Green consumerism is a notion that is part of a larger global consumer movement that strives to raise consumer awareness about their right to appropriate, safe, and increasingly environmentally friendly products (Kayani et al, 2023a).…”