Understanding consumer behavior: How the perceived threat of unsustainability influences sustainable behaviors

The aim of our study was to fill a gap in the environmental sustainability literature regarding consumers’ perception of identity threats to sustainability. We examined how the perceived identity threat posed by strangers’ unsustainable behaviors affects the sustainable behaviors of consumers, with motivation types as a moderator. Respondents were 940 Chinese undergraduate business students, and we randomly assigned them to scenarios depicting either unsustainable behaviors or neutral behaviors. We measured their intention to engage in sustainable behaviors and their motivation type using questionnaires, then conducted structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses. The results revealed that consumers’ perception of the identity threats posed by strangers’ unsustainable behaviors led them to exhibit a stronger intention to practice environmentally sustainable behaviors. Approach motivation positively moderated this relationship, while avoidance motivation had no significant effect. We discuss the managerial implications and limitations of our research, as well as opportunities for further research.