Confessions of a Green Consumer: Exploring Religiosity, Virtue Signaling, and Sustainable Choices

As churches preach stewardship of the Earth and social media influencers post pictures of bamboo toothbrushes, the crossroads between personal faith and green purchase intentions demands closer study. This study explores how a person’s depth of religious belief influences their intention to buy green products, and whether conspicuous virtue signaling (CVS) motivates those intentions. CVS refers to publicly showcasing one’s ethical actions, such as posting about eco-friendly purchases, to express moral identity or gain social approval. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, Goal Content Theory, and the Theory of Reasoned Action, this research distinguishes between intrinsic religiosity and extrinsic religiosity and how they influence green choices when motivated by virtue signaling. The study employed structural equation modelling to analyse survey data from 206 students and young professionals in Ghana. The findings reveal that intrinsic religiosity significantly boosts green purchase intentions, while extrinsic religiosity does not directly lead to greener buying choices. However, both intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity increase virtue signaling behaviors. Interestingly, even individuals who engage in religious activities for social reasons are more likely to "show off" their eco-friendly behavior online, which in turn increases their likelihood of intending to buy green products. These results suggest that public displays of environmental responsibility, whether driven by genuine faith or social image, can powerfully motivate sustainable consumer behavior. The study offers new insights for marketers and policymakers: green campaigns can appeal not only to private moral values but also to the human desire for social recognition. Framing eco-friendly choices as both personally meaningful and publicly admirable could effectively engage religious audiences in promoting sustainability.