IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jcopol/v43y2020i2d10.1007_s10603-018-9400-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Development of the Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale: Measuring Low-Consumption Lifestyles

Author

Listed:
  • S. A. Rich

    (La Trobe University)

  • B. J. Wright

    (La Trobe University)

  • P. C. Bennett

    (La Trobe University)

Abstract

Those who choose to reduce their material consumption to seek satisfaction in non-material ways are said to be living a life of voluntary simplicity. This lifestyle has potentially important implications for both environmental sustainability and individual well-being. In research, voluntary simplifiers are typically identified informally or by using measurement tools that may not reflect current simplifying practices. The aim of the current work was to develop a measure of voluntary simplicity based on the practices of contemporary simplifiers. Using a mixed-methods approach, qualitative interviews with 16 self-identified voluntary simplifiers were used to develop a questionnaire that was then administered to a sample of 423 participants. The questionnaire was refined statistically, resulting in the development of the 21-item Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale. The scale displays sound psychometric qualities and, with additional validation, should serve as a useful addition to the study of voluntary simplicity.

Suggested Citation

  • S. A. Rich & B. J. Wright & P. C. Bennett, 2020. "Development of the Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale: Measuring Low-Consumption Lifestyles," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 295-313, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jcopol:v:43:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s10603-018-9400-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10603-018-9400-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10603-018-9400-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10603-018-9400-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leonard-Barton, Dorothy, 1981. "Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyles and Energy Conservation," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 8(3), pages 243-252, December.
    2. Tim Jackson, 2005. "Live Better by Consuming Less?: Is There a “Double Dividend” in Sustainable Consumption?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 9(1‐2), pages 19-36, January.
    3. Kirk Brown & Tim Kasser, 2005. "Are Psychological and Ecological Well-being Compatible? The Role of Values, Mindfulness, and Lifestyle," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 349-368, November.
    4. Stacey A. Rich & Sharon Hanna & Bradley J. Wright, 2017. "Simply Satisfied: The Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction in the Life Satisfaction of Voluntary Simplifiers," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 89-105, February.
    5. Peyer, Mathias & Balderjahn, Ingo & Seegebarth, Barbara & Klemm, Alexandra, 2017. "The role of sustainability in profiling voluntary simplifiers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 37-43.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Siyun Chen & Haiying Wei, 2023. "Linking Temporal Landmarks to Voluntary Simplicity: The Mediating Roles of Self-Transcendence and Self-Enhancement," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(4), pages 693-708, December.
    2. F. Ziesemer & A. Hüttel & I. Balderjahn, 2021. "Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 427-453, September.
    3. Chen, Siyun & Kou, Sining & Lv, Linxiang, 2024. "Stand out or fit in: Understanding consumer minimalism from a social comparison perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jessica Osikominu & Nancy Bocken, 2020. "A Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle: Values, Adoption, Practices and Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-30, March.
    2. Hüttel, Alexandra & Balderjahn, Ingo & Hoffmann, Stefan, 2020. "Welfare Beyond Consumption: The Benefits of Having Less," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Amy Isham & Caroline Verfuerth & Alison Armstrong & Patrick Elf & Birgitta Gatersleben & Tim Jackson, 2022. "The Problematic Role of Materialistic Values in the Pursuit of Sustainable Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Hanri Taljaard & Nadine Sonnenberg, 2019. "Basic Psychological Needs and Self-Determined Motivation as Drivers of Voluntary Simplistic Clothing Consumption Practices in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-17, July.
    5. F. Ziesemer & A. Hüttel & I. Balderjahn, 2021. "Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 427-453, September.
    6. Justyna Kramarczyk & Mathieu Alemany Oliver, 2022. "Accumulative vs. Appreciative Expressions of Materialism: Revising Materialism in Light of Polish Simplifiers and New Materialism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(4), pages 701-719, February.
    7. Stacey A. Rich & Sharon Hanna & Bradley J. Wright, 2017. "Simply Satisfied: The Role of Psychological Need Satisfaction in the Life Satisfaction of Voluntary Simplifiers," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 89-105, February.
    8. Castro, Damaris & Bleys, Brent, 2023. "Do people think they have enough? A subjective income sufficiency assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    9. Nieves García-de-Frutos & José Manuel Ortega-Egea & Javier Martínez-del-Río, 2018. "Anti-consumption for Environmental Sustainability: Conceptualization, Review, and Multilevel Research Directions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 411-435, March.
    10. Nikolett Balsa-Budai & Marietta Kiss & Bence Kovács & Zoltán Szakály, 2019. "Attitudes of Voluntary Simplifier University Students in Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, March.
    11. Binder, Martin & Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin & Guardiola, Jorge, 2020. "Does it have to be a sacrifice? Different notions of the good life, pro-environmental behavior and their heterogeneous impact on well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    12. Andersson, David & Nässén, Jonas & Larsson, Jörgen & Holmberg, John, 2014. "Greenhouse gas emissions and subjective well-being: An analysis of Swedish households," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 75-82.
    13. Grant E. Donnelly & Cait Lamberton & Rebecca Walker Reczek & Michael I. Norton, 2017. "Social Recycling Transforms Unwanted Goods into Happiness," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(1), pages 48-63.
    14. Pangarkar, Aniruddha & Shukla, Paurav & Taylor, Charles R. “Ray”, 2021. "Minimalism in consumption: A typology and brand engagement strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 167-178.
    15. Hakan Cengiz & Ömer Torlak, 2021. "Investigating the Demographics and Behavioural Characteristics Associated with Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyles in a Developed and a Developing Country: A Comparison between US and Turkish Simplifiers," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(1), pages 119-131, February.
    16. Ýrem Erdoðmuþ & Ekin Karapýnar, 2015. "Understanding Levels of Voluntary Simplicity in Turkey," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 29(2), pages 1-19.
    17. Gong, Siyu & Suo, Danni & Peverelli, Peter, 2023. "Maintaining the order: How social crowding promotes minimalistic consumption practice," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    18. Anna Lewandowska & Joanna Witczak & Pasquale Giungato & Christian Dierks & Przemyslaw Kurczewski & Katarzyna Pawlak-Lemanska, 2018. "Inclusion of Life Cycle Thinking in a Sustainability-Oriented Consumer’s Typology: A Proposed Methodology and an Assessment Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, June.
    19. Claborn, Kelly A. & Brooks, Jeremy S., 2019. "Can We Consume Less and Gain More? Environmental Efficiency of Well-being at the Individual Level," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 110-120.
    20. Herziger, Atar & Claborn, Kelly A. & Brooks, Jeremy S., 2020. "Is There Hope for the Double Dividend? How Social Context Can Shape Synergies and Tradeoffs between Sustainable Consumption and Well-Being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jcopol:v:43:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s10603-018-9400-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.