Abstract
We model environmentally conscious consumption behavior (ECCB) with three psychometric values constructs: Schwartz’s Self-Transcendence Values, Kahle’s List of Values, and Richins and Dawson’s Materialism. Comparison of competing models and non-nested specification tests lead to a statistically significant model of ECCB which reasonably fits our author-designed and collected survey data. In addition, benevolence and universalism (elements of Schwartz’s construct), and acquisition centrality (an element of Materialism) exhibit statistical significance and conform to expectations.
Highlights
With the advent of reference dependent preferences [1], “arbitrarily coherent” demand [2], and laboratory experiments revealing limited support for the neo-classical, preference-based model of consumer choice [3], researchers might welcome an alternative, stable construct on which to base models of consumer behavior
We model environmentally conscious consumption behavior (ECCB) with three psychometric values constructs: Schwartz’s Self-Transcendence Values, Kahle’s List of Values, and Richins and Dawson’s Materialism
We find that Schwartz’s constructs, both separately and as a group, add explanatory power to a model of ECCB compared to a model based solely on socio-demographics
Summary
With the advent of reference dependent preferences [1], “arbitrarily coherent” demand [2], and laboratory experiments revealing limited support for the neo-classical, preference-based model of consumer choice [3], researchers might welcome an alternative, stable construct on which to base models of consumer behavior. This note reports the construction and analysis of a consumer survey incorporating ECCB and three values measures: Schwartz’s Self-Transcendence Values [4], [6], Kahle’s List of Values (LOV) [10], and Richins and Dawson’s Materialism [11]. We find that Schwartz’s constructs, both separately and as a group, add explanatory power to a model of ECCB compared to a model based solely on socio-demographics. Neither LOV nor Materialism improves model fit, though one element of Materialism, acquisition centrality, does. These findings: 1) suggest psychometrics can enhance models of environmentally-linked consumer behavior and 2) emphasize the importance of construct selection in a values-based approach to modeling.
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