GREEN Consumer Values

What it measures

A parsimonious unidimensional scale measuring the degree to which environmentally friendly consumption functions as a personal value guiding purchasing decisions. The GREEN scale is the most widely used individual-difference measure in experimental green marketing research. Validated across multiple studies (n=139–1,053) with high internal consistency (alphaapprox.0.93) and strong temporal stability. CFA confirmed unidimensional structure; construct validity established against the New Ecological Paradigm (rapprox.0.57), willingness to pay for green products, and preference for environmentally friendly product attributes. Haws et al. demonstrated that GCV moderates the effectiveness of green product appeals: high-GCV consumers respond more positively to green attribute framing when it is presented as central rather than incidental to the product, are more sensitive to greenwashing cues, and show stronger preference correction when green claims are questioned. GCV predicts responses to eco-labels, sustainable packaging, carbon footprint disclosures, and green brand messaging across product categories. The scale is widely employed as a continuous moderator or median-split segmentation variable in 2 x 2 experiments testing green marketing interventions.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree); all 6 items averaged into a single composite score

Scale items

• It is important to me that the products I use do not harm the environment.
• I consider the potential environmental impact of my actions when making many of my decisions.
• My purchase decisions are affected by my concern for our environment.
• I am concerned about wasting the resources of our planet.
• I would describe myself as environmentally responsible.
• I am willing to be inconvenienced in order to take actions that are more environmentally friendly.

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

Usage notes & scoring

The 7-point format is standard and recommended; 5-point adaptations reduce variance and may attenuate moderation effects in experiments. The scale is commonly used as a measured moderator (continuous or median/tertile split) in experiments testing eco-labels, green product claims, sustainability messaging, and environmental certifications. GCV is consumption-domain specific: it is more predictive of green purchase behaviour than general environmental attitudes (NEP) but less appropriate for non-consumption environmental contexts (e.g., civic activism, policy support) where the NEP is preferred. When both GCV and NEP are included, establish discriminant validity. The six items are widely reproduced verbatim in the literature and are considered public-domain measurement items. Some researchers refer to this informally as the 'GREENE scale.' Some citation databases list the development year as 2010; the published JCP paper appeared in 2014.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Haws, K.L., Winterich, K.P., & Naylor, R.W. (2014). Seeing the world through GREEN-tinted glasses: Green consumption values and responses to environmentally friendly products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(3), 336–354.

Keywords