Citation

Going green to be seen: Status, reputation, and conspicuous conservation

Vladas Griskevicius, Joshua M. Tybur, Bram Van den Bergh

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2010)

TL;DR

Green consumption signals status

Demonstrates costly signaling in human prosocial behavior - people choose less luxurious green products to signal status and prosociality. Direct application of handicap principle to consumer behavior.

Key Findings from Griskevicius et al. (2010)

  • Green consumption signals status
  • Costlier green choices preferred publicly
  • Signaling motive stronger with audience

Related Mechanisms for Going green to be seen: Status, reputation, and conspicuous conservation

Handicap Principle Costly Signals

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