Environmentalism (Purchasing Behavior)

What it measures

This scale measures the extent to which a consumer intentionally engages in purchasing behaviors believed to have less harmful impacts on the environment. Sokolova, Krishna, and Döring (2023, Web Appendix I) used 16 of the items in a 30-item scale originally developed by Roberts (1991) as a measure of Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior, in Study C with 199 participants, selecting these particular items to focus more on product preference than packaging specifically.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree, per Sokolova 2024 personal correspondence)

Scale items

• I normally make a conscious effort to limit my use of products that are made of or use scarce resources.
• I will not buy products which have excessive packaging.
• When there is a choice, I always choose that product which contributes to the least amount of pollution.
• If I understand the potential damage to the environment that some products can cause, I do not purchase these products.
• I have switched products for ecological reasons.
• I use a recycling center or in some way recycle some of my household trash.
• I make every effort to buy paper products made from recycled paper.
• I have convinced members of my family or friends not to buy some products which are harmful to the environment.
• I have purchased products because they cause less pollution.
• Whenever possible, I buy products packaged in reusable containers.
• When I purchase products, I always make a conscious effort to buy those products that are low in pollutants.
• When I have a choice between two equal products, I always purchase the one which is less harmful to other people and the environment.
• I will not buy a product if the company that sells it is ecologically irresponsible.
• I try only to buy products that can be recycled.
• I usually purchase the lowest priced product, regardless of its impact on society.
• I do not buy household products that harm the environment.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

The alpha was .96 (Sokolova, Krishna, and Döring 2023, p. 478). Validity was not discussed. This 16-item subset was selected from Roberts's (1991) original 30-item Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior scale, per personal correspondence from the authors (Döring 2024; Sokolova 2024); flagged as an adaptation given the direct reuse of a subset of items from an established, widely-cited instrument.

Citation

Sokolova, Tatiana, Aradhna Krishna, and Tim Döring (2023), "Paper Meets Plastic: The Perceived Environmental Friendliness of Product Packaging," Journal of Consumer Research, 50 (3), 468-491.

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