The nexus between moral licensing and behavioral consistency: Is organic consumption a door-opener for commitment to climate protection?

ABSTRACT

Organic consumption and the commitment to climate protection via carbon offsetting are important for the protection of global natural resources. This paper analyzes the relationship between these behaviors and examines factors that explain behavioral (in) consistency across these behavioral fields. Thereby, we examine the influence of priming by an “organic offer” on subsequent monetary donations via carbon offsetting. Here, for the first time, we investigate the interaction between priming, ethical mindsets (rule-based or outcome-based mindsets), environmental values and moral identity. The study is based on a laboratory experiment with students which was conducted in December 2017 (n = 226). The main results show that the three-way interaction between priming by an “organic offer,” rule-based mindsets and environmental values is associated with a higher likelihood for actual carbon offsetting. Furthermore, the findings indicate that moral identity neither interact with rule-based nor with outcome-based mindsets. However, an interaction between priming by an “organic offer” and outcome-based mindsets leads to a lower likelihood for carbon offsetting, which speaks for moral licensing effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Moral licensing
• Environmental values
• Moral identity
• Organic consumption
• Carbon offsetting

Highlights

• Priming by an “organic offer” has partially influence on subsequent decision-making.

• Ethical mindsets, environmental values and moral identity are differently interacting with priming by an “organic offer.”

• Priming by an “organic offer” and outcome-based mindsets lead to a lower likelihood for carbon-offsetting (moral licensing).

• Environmental values interact with rule-based mindsets and lead to a higher likelihood for carbon offsetting after priming by an “organic offer.”

• Moral identity neither interact with rule-based nor with outcome-based mindsets.

Notes

¹ The present work might be considered as a study focusing on a behavioral intervention or on priming. As we are not interested in the effect of the behavioral decision (organic or conventional consumption) but rather on the effects of considerations purchasing organic products on subsequent behaviors, we use the term priming by an “organic offer.” Furthermore, the decision to purchase products is voluntary, so that we do not interpret our study as a behavioral intervention study.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.