Goal pursuit of socially responsible consumption with situational priming and the dark triad

The choice to engage in socially responsible consumption is reportedly being made more frequently, but evidence of an attitude-behaviour gap suggests that consumers often fail to translate their intentions or attitudes into actual behaviours, even when they have clearly expressed their commitment to that form of consumption. This ambiguity lies in whether ethical or socially responsible consciousness is motivating the consumers, or if other behavioural drivers have been overshadowed by the appearance of socially responsible consumption. This thesis demonstrates that situational priming such as the presence of others and salient goal priming, compared to having a goal of adhering to socially responsible consumption, are more effective in motivating the individuals to act upon that means of consumption. Moreover, when the situation piques the interest of individuals with a high Machiavellian trait, they’re more likely to engage in socially responsible consumption. But again, the attitude-behaviour gap persists on the prediction of consumer ethics. This research makes theoretical contributions in using a goal-directed approach, with an emphasis on unconscious behavioural drivers such as situational factors and personality traits. Empirically, it supports the use of experimental studies to determine motivations underlying socially responsible consumption.