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Shoppers go green 'to impress neighbours not to save planet', study finds

While consumers are more likely to "go green" on the high street where they can be seen making altruistic choices, the privacy of online shopping brings out an entirely different behaviour. When people are not being watched by their peers they are more willing to shun the ethical products in favour of comfort and convenience, the report says.

The habit has been studied by Vladas Griskevicius, of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, who found eco-friendly shopping decisions are not always motivated by a social conscious. In the paper "Going Green to Be Seen: Status, Reputation, and Conspicuous Conservation", published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the authors found that people would only forego luxury when others could see it. Read more (Source: The Telegraph)

17 March 2010