New research indicates that exposure to green products and the purchase of green products have vastly different effects on behavior. Nina Mazar and Chen-Bo Zhong found that exposure to green products results in more altruistic behavior later on, but actually purchasing green products seems to have the opposite effect: “people act less altruistically and are more likely to cheat and steal after purchasing green products than after purchasing conventional products.” So best to think twice before you buy those recycled paper towels. (HT: The Daily Dish)[%comments]
Do "Green" Products Cause Bad Behavior?
TAGS: altruism, environment
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It IS well established that once people feel that they have already PAID a flat rate for something which is available in quantity (such as a donation for candy on a counter, or an all you can eat buffet), versus that same thing being made freely available for use “on the honor system”, they are more likely to take, and to take more of an item which is presented. I would expect that a similar “pre-paid dues to society” mentality prevails here as well.
MOST interestingly, we should consider commencing a long term study of the impact that granting higher public benefits, such as healthcare and increased unemployment, has on the overall and relatively high rate of charitable giving in the US. As my taxes will certainly rise to pay for what I consider a relatively luxurious standard of medical care for many who cannot pay for it themselves, I expect both my ability and motivation to donate to the poor will be diminished in the future. “Why should I?” one reasons. “After all, I gave at the tax office.” Just take a look at charitable contributions in more socialistic countries.
This would corroborate a personal theory of mine, but the assertion needs stats to back it up.
CL,
I think it’s a comment about Mikki’s personal experience with perception v. reality.
While I can’t speak for how valid the research is, it does remind me of one of the first stories in Freakonomics about the Israeli day care center… perhaps people feel that purchasing green products (for a premium in either price or quality) permits them to act reckelessly. Much like people who say, “I worked out today, so it’s OK for me to eat this box of donuts.”
By definition, buying stuff means you are not a very good participant of conservation efforts
Mikki’s bad behavior doesn’t necessarily mean she buys green products.
If this research is any good it tells us more about the kind of people who buy the organic stuff rather than the organic stuff itself.
Please read the study. This thing has been over-hyped, and I’ve read at least one post debunking the public frenzy about the immorality of ‘green’ shoppers. (Sorry, can’t find the link.)
You shouldn’t be putting up links to trash like this unless you’re debunking the absurd conclusions people draw about a very limited experiment.