Positive Cueing: Promoting Sustainable Consumer Behavior By Cueing Common Environmental Behaviors as Environmental

KUL Working Paper No. MO 0610

39 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2006 Last revised: 15 Jun 2014

See all articles by Gert Cornelissen

Gert Cornelissen

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Department of Economics and Business

Mario Pandelaere

Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) - School for Mass Communication Research

Luk Warlop

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB); BI Norwegian Business School

Siegfried Dewitte

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB)

Abstract

People frequently fail to see themselves as environmentally-conscious consumers; one reason for this is that they are oftentimes prone to dismissing their more common ecological behaviors (e.g., avoid littering) as non-diagnostic for that particular self-image. The cueing of commonly performed ecological behaviors as environmentally-friendly (what we call positive cueing) renders both cued and non-cued common ecological behaviors more diagnostic for the inference of pro-environmental attitudes (Study 1). As a result, positive cueing increases the likelihood that people will see themselves as consumers who are concerned with the degree to which their behavior is environmentally responsible (Study 2). The cueing of common ecological behaviors leads participants to choose environmentally-friendly products with greater frequency, and even to use scrap paper more efficiently (Study 3). We discuss the implications for effective social marketing campaigns.

Keywords: (pro-environmental) Attitudes, Social Marketing, Persuasion, Ecological consumer behavior, Self-perception theory

Suggested Citation

Cornelissen, Gert and Pandelaere, Mario and Warlop, Luk and Dewitte, Siegfried, Positive Cueing: Promoting Sustainable Consumer Behavior By Cueing Common Environmental Behaviors as Environmental. KUL Working Paper No. MO 0610, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=944391 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.944391

Gert Cornelissen (Contact Author)

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Department of Economics and Business ( email )

Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27
Barcelona, 08005
Spain
++34 93542 27 31 (Phone)

Mario Pandelaere

Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) - School for Mass Communication Research ( email )

Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

Luk Warlop

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB) ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

BI Norwegian Business School ( email )

Nydalsveien 37
Oslo, 0442
Norway

Siegfried Dewitte

KU Leuven - Faculty of Business and Economics (FEB) ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

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