Abstract
Systems thinking (ST) represents an important cognitive paradigm for the transition towards a circular bio-economy, as greater awareness of the environmental impact of fossil-based products may lead to a switch to sustainable alternatives produced from secondary biomass which is not used as feed or food. However, the relationship between ST and the adoption of bio-based products, as well as the general mechanism of how ST affects environmental behavior, is not yet well-understood. The present study therefore aims to close these research gaps by conducting a survey-based experiment with a ST-motivated treatment, in which participants are asked to list as many consequences of their consumption behavior as possible (N=446 US consumers). Our findings suggest that the treatment is able to slightly activate a ST perspective, along with indirectly affecting consumer intentions to buy bio-based products by means of ST. Subsequent mediation analyses further reveal that an ecological worldview as well as variables from the norm-activation model function as mediators of the relationship between ST and purchase intention.
Highlights
Complex environmental issues such as climate change and resource depletion are increasingly challenging the well-being of humans, ani mals, and the biosphere (Meadows et al, 2004)
We argue that systems thinking (ST) represents an important cognitive paradigm for a transition towards a circular bio-economy, wherein consumers need to switch from fossil-based to innovative bio-based products (Lewandowski et al, 2018; Urmetzer et al, 2020)
The central idea here is that people who are more aware of the social and environmental consequences of consuming fossil fuels are more likely to prefer bio-based cosmetics, detergents or plastics over fossil-based alternatives – especially when those bio-based products are manufactured on the basis of secondary biomass which does not conflict with food or feed production (Schwartz, 1977; Urmetzer et al, 2020)
Summary
Complex environmental issues such as climate change and resource depletion are increasingly challenging the well-being of humans, ani mals, and the biosphere (Meadows et al, 2004). Various scholars have argued that one of the major causes of such problems is that humans ignore the environmental consequences of their behaviors, e.g. of their purchasing choices (Liening, 2013; Randle & Stroink, 2018). In this vein, systems thinking (ST) offers one approach which allows people to perceive the complex, interconnected nature of reality and, to better grasp how their individual behavior connects to the bigger picture of the natural system (Meadows et al, 1972; National Research Council, 2012; Davis & Stroink, 2015; Lezak & Thibodeau, 2016). Despite growing interest in ST, the psychological mechanisms of how systems thinking affects pro-environmental decision-making is not firmly understood (Lezak & Thibodeau, 2016; Davis et al, 2017; Ballew et al, 2019)
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