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The physical environment matters: room effects on online purchase decisions

Eklund, Ann LU ; Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina ; Rahm, Johan LU orcid and Johansson, Maria LU orcid (2024) In Frontiers in Psychology 15.
Abstract
Introduction: People as individual consumers are regularly targeted in sustainability campaigns or communications with the hope of enhancing sustainable behavior at an individual level, with subsequent sustainability transformation at a larger societal scale. However, psychological motivation is complex and campaigns need to be based on an understanding for what individual, and contextual, factors support or hinder sustainable behavioral choices.

Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, participants made hypothetical online purchases in each of three rooms designed to evoke associations to hedonic, gain, and normative goal frames. Participants were shown a campaign message intended to prime sustainable textile consumption prior... (More)
Introduction: People as individual consumers are regularly targeted in sustainability campaigns or communications with the hope of enhancing sustainable behavior at an individual level, with subsequent sustainability transformation at a larger societal scale. However, psychological motivation is complex and campaigns need to be based on an understanding for what individual, and contextual, factors support or hinder sustainable behavioral choices.

Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, participants made hypothetical online purchases in each of three rooms designed to evoke associations to hedonic, gain, and normative goal frames. Participants were shown a campaign message intended to prime sustainable textile consumption prior to the purchase. For each product (t-shirt or bananas) hedonic (comfort/look), gain (price), and normative (organic/ fairtrade) attributes were varied in an online choice experiment.

Results: Preferences for the normative attribute of t-shirts increased in the normative room compared to the room with gain associations. No effect of the rooms with hedonic or gain priming was observed on the choice.

Discussion: The study supports the hypothesis that the physical room can enhance goal frame activation and behavioral choice but concludes that such priming effect is sensitive to specificity of the prime. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Frontiers in Psychology
volume
15
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
ISSN
1664-1078
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354419
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
116fdbb4-23b1-4a0c-959f-3c2732a11521
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 21:01:30
date last changed
2024-06-27 09:03:26
@article{116fdbb4-23b1-4a0c-959f-3c2732a11521,
  abstract     = {{Introduction: People as individual consumers are regularly targeted in sustainability campaigns or communications with the hope of enhancing sustainable behavior at an individual level, with subsequent sustainability transformation at a larger societal scale. However, psychological motivation is complex and campaigns need to be based on an understanding for what individual, and contextual, factors support or hinder sustainable behavioral choices.<br/><br/>Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, participants made hypothetical online purchases in each of three rooms designed to evoke associations to hedonic, gain, and normative goal frames. Participants were shown a campaign message intended to prime sustainable textile consumption prior to the purchase. For each product (t-shirt or bananas) hedonic (comfort/look), gain (price), and normative (organic/ fairtrade) attributes were varied in an online choice experiment.<br/><br/>Results: Preferences for the normative attribute of t-shirts increased in the normative room compared to the room with gain associations. No effect of the rooms with hedonic or gain priming was observed on the choice.<br/><br/>Discussion: The study supports the hypothesis that the physical room can enhance goal frame activation and behavioral choice but concludes that such priming effect is sensitive to specificity of the prime.}},
  author       = {{Eklund, Ann and Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina and Rahm, Johan and Johansson, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1664-1078}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Psychology}},
  title        = {{The physical environment matters: room effects on online purchase decisions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354419}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1354419}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}