Abstract:

Environmental issues are related to human growth in the long term, and people are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity of green consumption. Time and money are two important resource types. Individuals’ green consumption behavior is inevitably affected by these two resources in cognitive thinking and decision-making. However, the underlying mechanism of how resource type affects green consumption is still unclear. In order to further explore the impact of resource type on green consumption, the present study introduces time and money into the field of green consumption and builds a theoretical framework. First of all, Study 1 reveals that time resources promote green consumption and that money resources decrease green consumption (Experiment 1). Then, based on construal level theory and human value, Study 2 investigates the underlying mechanism of the impact of time and money resources on green consumption. Specifically, time resources activate high-level construal and self-transcendence, which can promote the intention of green consumption. On the contrary, money resources stimulate low-level construal and self-enhancement, which will reduce the intention of green consumption (Experiment 2). Study 3 examines the boundary condition through individual factors: when green consumption emphasizes the interests of the whole society or others, time resources are more likely to promote consumers’ willingness to purchase green products, however, when green consumption emphasizes the interests of themselves or families, money resources are more likely to promote consumers’ willingness to purchase green products, and the emotional response level plays a mediating role in this effect (Experiment 3). Study 4 aims to explore the impact of nudge, which often encourages consumers to engage in green consumption. Time resources are more likely to promote consumers’ willingness to explicitly ask for switching to a green mode, while money resources are more likely to promote consumers’ willingness to accept a green mode as the default, and environmental self-responsibility plays an intermediary role in this effect (Experiment 4). Study 5 and Study 6 explore the moderating effects of product innovation and typicality, respectively. Time resources will lead to a higher preference for central innovative green products or typically green products, while money resources will lead to a higher preference for peripheral innovative green products or atypically green products, and product effectiveness perception plays an intermediary role in these effects (Experiments 5 and 6). The above studies not only explore the positive role of time and money resources in promoting green consumption, but also provide new ideas for companies to use resource type to guide green consumption.

Key words: green consumption, time resource, money resource, construal level, human value