The Effectiveness of Normative Messages on Sustainable Product Decisions and the Moderating Role of Social Identity Complexity

Social norms play an important role in shaping environmentally conscious purchase decisions. However, individuals are often part of many different groups resulting in a more complex social identity. Exposure to multiple and possibly diverging group norms likely lessens the influence of any single norm on behavior. The current research examines the moderating role of social identity complexity (SIC) on the impact of normative messages on sustainable product consumption. Results indicate that SIC moderates the effectiveness of normative messages on preference for sustainable products.