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Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption

Author

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  • Meiling Yin

    (Business School, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

  • Hanna Choi

    (Business School, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

  • Eun-Ju Lee

    (Business School, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea
    Neuro Intelligence Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea)

Abstract

Climate change is a major threat to humanity and endangers our way of life. If a critical mass of consumers can consider the consequences of the daily consumption choices they make, we could hope for a better future. From a neuroethical viewpoint, we examined how a consumer’s ecological consciousness can be awakened, leading to eco-friendly consumption. This study used the neuroscientific method of event-related potentials (ERP) to explore the neural mechanisms underlying climate change. Both frontal N300 and posterior P300 ERP components occur under climate change conditions which is a neural representation of ecological consciousness. Consumers who exhibited simultaneous frontal N300 and posterior P300 activation were more likely than those who did not to make eco-friendly product choices during the consumption tasks. Using these neurobehavioral findings, marketers can promote eco-friendly consumption based on ecological consciousness.

Suggested Citation

  • Meiling Yin & Hanna Choi & Eun-Ju Lee, 2022. "Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:22:p:15007-:d:971477
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    References listed on IDEAS

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