Green consumption signals altruism and elevated social status

Abstract

Recent studies (e.g., Griskevicius, Tybur, and Van den Bergh, 2010) have suggested that green consumption, similar to other instances of altruistic behaviour, may be used as a signal of elevated social status. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis using a series of three web-based experiments (total N = 1,223). We manipulated the green profile and costs of grocery products bought by a hypothetical consumer. Participants then evaluated the consumer's social status using direct and indirect measures of social status. Our results showed that green consumption was perceived by external observers both as a signal of altruism and elevated social status. Interestingly, we found that even though the price of products had a positive effect on the perceived social status of a consumer, it did not interact with the green profile of consumption as would be expected by the theory of costly signalling of altruism. Green consumption thus seems to be a very strong signal of elevated social status, quite independent of the explicit costs associated with such consumption.

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