ESP-3527

Published

2025-05-16

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Vol. 10 No. 5 (2025): Published

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Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 BinKai Ge

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How to Cite

Ge, B. (2025). Social-Psychological mechanisms in green marketing: Influencing consumer purchase attitudes and behaviors through environmental consciousness. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(5), ESP-3527. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i5.3527

Social-Psychological mechanisms in green marketing: Influencing consumer purchase attitudes and behaviors through environmental consciousness

BinKai Ge

Department of Electronic engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i5.3527


Keywords: environmental consciousness; green marketing; collectivism; consumer behavior; sustainable consumption

Abstract

This study investigates the social-psychological mechanisms through which green marketing influences consumer purchase behavior, with a specific focus on the mediating role of environmental consciousness and the moderating effect of collectivism. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, we collected data from 1,103 consumers across six metropolitan areas in China through surveys and follow-up focus groups (n=72). Structural equation modeling revealed that environmental consciousness mediates approximately 55% of green marketing's influence on purchase behavior (β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.17-0.28), indicating that the majority of green marketing's effectiveness operates through enhancing consumers' environmental awareness rather than direct persuasion. The findings also demonstrate a significant moderation effect of collectivism on the relationship between environmental consciousness and purchase behavior (β = 0.15, p < 0.01), with stronger effects observed among highly collectivistic consumers. This suggests that cultural values substantially shape how environmental consciousness translates into sustainable consumption practices. The moderated mediation index was significant (index = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.04-0.15), confirming that the indirect effect of green marketing varies conditional on collectivism levels. By integrating perspectives from the Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm theory, and Social Cognitive Theory, our research establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding the psychological pathways underlying green consumer behavior. These findings contribute to both theoretical development in environmental psychology and practical insights for marketers, suggesting that green marketing strategies should prioritize consciousness-raising approaches tailored to different consumer segments based on their environmental awareness levels and cultural orientations. The demonstrated importance of collectivism has particular implications for cross-cultural marketing strategies, indicating that emphasizing community benefits may be especially effective in collectivistic contexts.

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