When Lack of Belongingness Means Bad News For the Planet: the Consequences of Low Belonging on Ethical Product Purchases

Three studies reveal that individuals who feel low in belongingness (vs. controls) evaluate ethical products less favorably and are less willing to pay for them. Results suggest that in addition to personal costs, low belongingness can inhibit concern for social acceptance and contribute to unforeseen costs to the environment.

Citation:

Ainslie Schultz, Kevin Newman, and Scott Wright (2018) ,"When Lack of Belongingness Means Bad News For the Planet: the Consequences of Low Belonging on Ethical Product Purchases", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 46, eds. Andrew Gershoff, Robert Kozinets, and Tiffany White, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 781-782.