Understanding Consumption Reduction Through the TPB: Moderating Effects of the Need for Evaluation and Self-Referencing Individual Differences

Abstract

Limited research has focused on consumption reduction as one potential pathway to meet sustainable development goals. This paper investigates consumers’ intentions to undertake consumption reduction through the lens of an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), where selected individual differences, namely the need for evaluation (NE) and self-referencing (SR), are given considerable attention. In total, 226 respondents participated in this web-based survey study. The results from structural equation modeling analysis confirm that the extended theory of planned behavior effectively explains consumers’ intentions to undertake consumption reduction. Notably, the individual differences of the NE and SR each uniquely moderate the relationships within the TPB model. This study provides a theoretical contribution by integrating the selected moderators (i.e., the NE and SR) into the TPB framework, increases the TPB’s predictive power, and further provides a novel understanding of the underlying influences of individual differences on consumers’ intentions to undertake consumption reduction for the benefit of the environment. Moreover, the findings offer practical implications for policymakers and social marketers in designing tailor-made interventions and consumption reduction strategies by considering the important role of individual differences.