Behavioral effects of guideline-provision on climate-friendly food choices – A psychological perspective. (20th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schmidt, Karolin
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 277(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12-20
• Subjects: Climate friendly consumption -- Food -- Experiment -- Intervention -- Action knowledge-provision; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123284
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from global food production are responsible for approximately 25–30% of all global GHG emissions and hence contribute to global climate change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019). Promoting climate friendly (CF) food consumption can be an effective way to counter this problematic development. Aside from their individual motivation to do so, consumers' ability to identify CF food represents the fundamental basis for their actual CF food consumption. Initial empirical findings suggest that this ability can be promoted by the provision of simple guidelines (i.e., appropriate action knowledge for CF food consumption). The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of such guideline-provision in promoting the consumers' ability to identify CF food and to identify relevant preconditions for its effectiveness from a psychological perspective. Two samples of private consumers were examined by means of an online survey – consumers from Switzerland (N = 150) and from Germany (N = 229). In both samples, participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG, receiving simple guidelines for CF food consumption) and the control group (CG, without any intervention). As expected, EG-participants showed higher ability to identify CF food during a conducted food choice-experiment compared to CG-participants. However, this effect was only found when the provided simple guidelines clearly indicated one food-option to be the (more) CF one (i.e., easy food choices). Guideline-provision showed no behavioral effect in more difficult food choices. Taken together, the present study provides further empirical evidence for the effectiveness of action knowledge-provision in promoting consumers' ability to identify CF food. Furthermore, relevant preconditions for this behavioral effect were identified. Highlights: An intervention to promote consumers' ability to identify CF food is examined. Action knowledge-provision's effectiveness depends on type of food choice situation. Consumers' ability to identify CF food and their motivation for CF consumption are only slightly related.