IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v196y2025i3d10.1007_s10551-024-05734-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Anxious Altruism: Virtue Signaling Mediates the Impact of Attachment Style on Consumers’ Green Purchase Behavior and Prosocial Responses

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammad Junaid Shahid Hasni

    (University of Trento)

  • Faruk Anıl Konuk

    (Sakarya University)

  • Tobias Otterbring

    (University of Agder)

Abstract

Virtue signaling serves to express moral and ethical values publicly, showcasing commitment to social and sustainable ideals. This research, conducted with non-WEIRD samples to mitigate the prevalent WEIRD bias (i.e., the tendency to solely rely on samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic societies), examines whether the scarcely studied virtue-signaling construct mediates the influence of consumers’ attachment anxiety (vs. avoidance) on their green purchase behavior and prosocial responses. Drawing on attachment theory and the emerging virtue-signaling literature, the current work reports the results from three studies (Ntotal = 898) in which consumers’ attachment patterns were not only measured, as in most prior related research, but also manipulated. Study 1 confirmed the unique ability of measured attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, to predict consumers’ green purchase behavior and prosocial tendencies, with virtue signaling mediating these links. Study 2 manipulated participants’ attachment patterns, finding further support for the mediating role of virtue signaling between attachment anxiety (vs. avoidance) and these dependent variables. Study 3 provided a more nuanced account for our virtue-signaling conceptualization by documenting that self-oriented, but not other-oriented, virtue signaling mediated the link between attachment anxiety and both our key outcomes in public contexts. From a managerial viewpoint, these findings indicate that anxiously attached consumers constitute a potentially lucrative segment for companies seeking to expand their market share of sustainable and ethically produced products.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Junaid Shahid Hasni & Faruk Anıl Konuk & Tobias Otterbring, 2025. "Anxious Altruism: Virtue Signaling Mediates the Impact of Attachment Style on Consumers’ Green Purchase Behavior and Prosocial Responses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 196(3), pages 603-637, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:196:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05734-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05734-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-024-05734-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-024-05734-8?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. Godwin Udo & Kallol Bagchi & Moutusy Maity, 2016. "Exploring Factors Affecting Digital Piracy Using the Norm Activation and UTAUT Models: The Role of National Culture," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 517-541, May.
    2. Gidlöf, Kerstin & Lahm, Erik Stoltenberg & Wallin, Annika & Otterbring, Tobias, 2021. "Eco depletion: The impact of hunger on prosociality by means of environmentally friendly attitudes and behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Konuk, Faruk Anıl & Otterbring, Tobias, 2024. "The dark side of going green: Dark triad traits predict organic consumption through virtue signaling, status signaling, and praise from others," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Nathalie Spielmann, 2021. "Green is the New White: How Virtue Motivates Green Product Purchase," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(4), pages 759-776, November.
    5. Christian T. Elbæk & Panagiotis Mitkidis & Lene Aarøe & Tobias Otterbring, 2023. "Subjective socioeconomic status and income inequality are associated with self-reported morality across 67 countries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Wallace, Elaine & Buil, Isabel, 2023. "Antecedents and consequences of conspicuous green behavior on social media: Incorporating the virtual self-identity into the theory of planned behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    7. Ali Besharat & Gia Nardini & Rhiannon MacDonnell Mesler, 2024. "Bringing Ethical Consumption to the Forefront in Emerging Markets: The Role of Product Categorization," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(4), pages 777-792, May.
    8. Norazah Mohd Suki & Abdul Majeed & Norbayah Mohd Suki, 2021. "Impact of consumption values on consumers’ purchase of organic food and green environmental concerns," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(6), pages 1128-1141, July.
    9. Mayowa T. Babalola & Matthijs Bal & Charles H. Cho & Lucia Garcia-Lorenzo & Omrane Guedhami & Hao Liang & Greg Shailer & Suzanne Gils, 2022. "Bringing Excitement to Empirical Business Ethics Research: Thoughts on the Future of Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(3), pages 903-916, October.
    10. Camilla Barbarossa & Patrick Pelsmacker, 2016. "Positive and Negative Antecedents of Purchasing Eco-friendly Products: A Comparison Between Green and Non-green Consumers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(2), pages 229-247, March.
    11. Cho, Hyun-Chul & Abe, Shuzo, 2013. "Is two-tailed testing for directional research hypotheses tests legitimate?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(9), pages 1261-1266.
    12. Ainslie E. Schultz & Kevin P. Newman & Scott A. Wright, 2023. "The Negative Effect of Low Belonging on Consumer Responses to Sustainable Products," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(3), pages 473-492, October.
    13. Nguyen, Hieu P. & Munch, James M., 2011. "Romantic gift giving as chore or pleasure: The effects of attachment orientations on gift giving perceptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 113-118, February.
    14. Joseph Henrich & Steven J. Heine & Ara Norenzayan, 2010. "Most people are not WEIRD," Nature, Nature, vol. 466(7302), pages 29-29, July.
    15. Annilee M. Game & Jonathan R. Crawshaw, 2017. "A Question of Fit: Cultural and Individual Differences in Interpersonal Justice Perceptions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 279-291, August.
    16. Tim Loughran & Bill McDonald & James R. Otteson, 2023. "How Have Corporate Codes of Ethics Responded to an Era of Increased Scrutiny?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(4), pages 1029-1044, April.
    17. Rik Pieters, 2017. "Meaningful Mediation Analysis: Plausible Causal Inference and Informative Communication," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 44(3), pages 692-716.
    18. Saunders, Edward M, Jr, 1993. "Stock Prices and Wall Street Weather," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1337-1345, December.
    19. Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb & Benjamin Scheibehenne, 2023. "Tighter nets for smaller fishes? Mapping the development of statistical practices in consumer research between 2008 and 2020," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 351-365, September.
    20. Joonas Rokka & Liisa Uusitalo, 2008. "Preference for green packaging in consumer product choices : Do consumers care?," Post-Print hal-02313351, HAL.
    21. Micael-Lee Johnstone & Lay Tan, 2015. "Exploring the Gap Between Consumers’ Green Rhetoric and Purchasing Behaviour," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 311-328, December.
    22. Sirgy, M Joseph, 1982. "Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 9(3), pages 287-300, December.
    23. Christian T. Elbæk & Panagiotis Mitkidis & Lene Aarøe & Tobias Otterbring, 2023. "Author Correction: Subjective socioeconomic status and income inequality are associated with self-reported morality across 67 countries," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-1, December.
    24. Vanitha Swaminathan & Karen M. Stilley & Rohini Ahluwalia, 2009. "When Brand Personality Matters: The Moderating Role of Attachment Styles," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(6), pages 985-1002, April.
    25. van Doorn, Jenny & Verhoef, Peter C., 2011. "Willingness to pay for organic products: Differences between virtue and vice foods," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 167-180.
    26. Li Yan & Hean Tat Keh & Xiaoyu Wang, 2021. "Powering Sustainable Consumption: The Roles of Green Consumption Values and Power Distance Belief," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 499-516, March.
    27. Park, Min-Sook & Shin, Jong-Kuk & Ju, Yong, 2019. "Attachment styles and electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) adoption on social networking sites," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 398-404.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Otterbring, Tobias & Folwarczny, Michał, 2024. "Social validation, reciprocation, and sustainable orientation: Cultivating “clean†codes of conduct through social influence," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Anwar Sadat Shimul, 2022. "Brand attachment: a review and future research," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 400-419, July.
    3. Tiganis, Antonios & Chrysochou, Polymeros & Mitkidis, Panagiotis & Krystallis, Athanasios, 2025. "Social order or social justice? The relationship of political ideology with consumer preferences for Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Yue Ni & Qiqi Cheng, 2022. "The Moderating Effect of the Sense of Power on Green (NonGreen) Appeal in Promoting Sustainable Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Wintschnig, Bea Alexandra, 2021. "The Attitude-Behavior Gap – Drivers and Barriers of Sustainable Consumption," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 6(2), pages 324-346.
    6. Martin Mende & Maura L. Scott & Aaron M. Garvey & Lisa E. Bolton, 2019. "The marketing of love: how attachment styles affect romantic consumption journeys," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 255-273, March.
    7. Chun-Shuo Chen & Chih-Ching Yu & Kuan-Yu Tu, 2023. "Exploring the Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication Tools on Green Product Purchase Intentions among Diverse Green Consumer Segments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Elisa Monnot & Fanny Reniou & Béatrice Parguel & Leila Elgaaied-Gambier, 2019. "“Thinking Outside the Packaging Box”: Should Brands Consider Store Shelf Context When Eliminating Overpackaging?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 355-370, January.
    9. Ayşe Lisa Allison & Fabiana Lorencatto & Susan Michie & Mark Miodownik, 2021. "Barriers and Enablers to Buying Biodegradable and Compostable Plastic Packaging," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, January.
    10. Ishaq, Muhammad Ishtiaq & Baloch, Rukhsar & Raza, Ali & Talpur, Qurat-ul-ain & Ahmad, Rehan, 2025. "Ecological consciousness, moral self-identity and green conspicuous behavior: Moderating role of religiosity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    11. Yong Ming Wang & Hafiz Muhammad Fakhar Zaman & Abdul Khaliq Alvi, 2022. "Linkage of Green Brand Positioning and Green Customer Value With Green Purchase Intention: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Attitude Toward Green Brand and Green Trust," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    12. Nathalie Spielmann, 2021. "Green is the New White: How Virtue Motivates Green Product Purchase," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(4), pages 759-776, November.
    13. Liu, Chihling & Hogg, Margaret K., 2018. "Using attachment theory to understand consumers' tensions between their sense of self and goal-pursuits in relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 197-209.
    14. Pituwela Kankanamge Chamari Dinesha & Prof. P. G. S. Amila Jayarathne & Dr. Galdolage, B.S., 2024. "A Systematic Literature Review on the Attitude-Behaviour Divides in Favour of Sustainable Consumption," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(11), pages 2504-2514, November.
    15. Rohini R & Daly Paulose Meppurath, 2025. "Dimensions of ethical consumption: A systematic review and future outlook," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 1892-1908, April.
    16. Nuntana Udomkit & Panuvat Mathews, 2015. "The Analysis of Bangkok Coffee Chain’s Consumers and the Influence of Brand Personalities on their Purchasing Decision," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 16(3), pages 415-424, June.
    17. Kyle S. H. Dobson & Andrea G. Dittmann & David S. Yeager, 2025. "A transparency statement improves trust in community-police interactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    18. Fabrice Larceneux & Florence Benoît-Moreau & Valérie Renaudin, 2012. "Why Might Organic Labels Fail to Influence Consumer Choices? Marginal Labelling and Brand Equity Effects," Post-Print hal-00656485, HAL.
    19. Fabrice Larceneux & Florence Benoit-Moreau & Valérie Renaudin, 2012. "Why Might Organic Labels Fail to Influence Consumer Choices? Marginal Labelling and Brand Equity Effects," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 85-104, March.
    20. Ting Chi & Jenisha Gerard & Alison Dephillips & Hang Liu & Jing Sun, 2019. "Why U.S. Consumers Buy Sustainable Cotton Made Collegiate Apparel? A Study of the Key Determinants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, June.

    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:jbuset:v:196:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05734-8. 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.