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Minimalism as a Sustainable Lifestyle: Its Behavioral Representations and Contributions to Emotional Well-Being
Abstract
The increasingly prevalent minimalism of individuals’ lifestyles and its broad impact on sustainability has largely been expressed as conjecture among journalists and bloggers; thus, neither a concrete empirical definition nor scientific evidence of its effects has yet been firmly established in the academic literature. We propose minimalism as a deliberate paradigm shift in consumer behavior based on the principle of a sustainable lifestyle and seek to provide its operationalization and evidence of its effects on emotional well-being. In Study 1, we explore how minimalism is structured by synthesizing existing measures of relevant constructs and other potential indicators that could represent the concept and formulate the operationalization of minimalism. In Study 2, we develop and test a structural model that depicts the effects of minimalism on positive emotion (flourishing) and negative emotion (depression). Highly valid data were collected from a nationwide consumer panel sample (N = 1,050), and a series of hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted for primary analytic methods. As a result, the second-order model of minimalism identifies and confirms the hierarchical structure of minimalism, which consists of four distinctive yet related behavioral representations: clutter removal, cautious shopping, longevity, and self-sufficiency. The results also indicate that minimalism enhances flourishing while alleviating depression. Our study opens the door for future research to deepen the understanding of minimalism and explore additional contributions that minimalism can make. Furthermore, our research provides a clear rationale as to why it is worthwhile for consumers to incorporate minimalism into their lifestyle, which can in turn motivate manufacturers and producers to seek more sustainable modes of production that accord with the minimalist lifestyle.
... Minimalism is a lifestyle characterized by few possessions and mindful acquisition (Kang et al., 2021;Wilson et al., 2022). Minimalists chose this lifestyle despite the consumptogenic forces (Friel & Kreiger, 2018) of capitalism such as advertising, fast fashion, and social media. ...
... Minimalism is a choice for those who have the resources to consume but choose not to, it is distinct from material deprivation due to poverty. Unlike voluntary simplicity (VS)-a related but more environmentally, ethically focused construct-minimalism is a recent phenomenon and less researched (Kang et al., 2021). ...
... Minimalism is defined as "a value that embraces mindful acquisition and ownership of few, curated possessions, with a preference for a sparse aesthetic" (Wilson et al., 2022, p. 7). Kang et al. (2021) conclude it is a sustainable lifestyle involving: eliminating clutter, cautious shopping, using items for as long as possible, and practicing self-sufficiency. Minimalism may include vegetarianism, spirituality, environmentalism, and zero waste, but these practices are not core components of minimalism (Dopierala, 2017). ...
Everyone must consume, but the wealthy consume more than most. Half of global household emissions come from the world's top 10% of income earners. In this review, we investigate the minimalist lifestyle to find out if minimalism could deliver the dual benefit of reduced carbon emissions and increased wellbeing. Minimalists have voluntarily chosen to have few possessions, despite economic and social structures that encourage consumption. Having fewer possessions suggests they might have a lower carbon emissions. A review of three other low‐consumption lifestyles: frugalism, tightwadism and voluntary simplicity, offers some support for this hypothesis, but the empirical evidence regarding minimalism is scant. We also review minimalist motivations, finding some support for a positive association between wellbeing and minimalism. We conclude that while minimalism might offer wellbeing benefits, research on carbon emissions is inconclusive. Furthermore, even if minimalism did result in reduced emissions, the minimalist lifestyle maybe too individualistic to create social change.
This article is categorized under: Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Behavior Change and Responses
The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior
Climate and Development > Sustainability and Human Well‐Being
... Notably, we differentiate our work from prior research by identifying the bright side of CDS from the perspective of environmental sustainability (Chen et al., 2021b;Pangarkar et al., 2021). Prior work suggests that unethical consumption could impede spiritual, societal, and ecological well-being (Kang, Martinez, & Johnson, 2021). Based on the minimalism philosophy, minimalistic consumption refers to spontaneous consumer activities motivated by personal growth, the pursuit of meaning, and ecological concerns (Rebouças & Soares, 2021;Wilson & Bellezza, 2022). ...
... Rich et al. (2017) suggested that minimalistic consumption meets psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), consequently contributing to life satisfaction. In addition, leading a minimalist lifestyle can have a positive influence on individuals' subjective (Lloyd & Pennington, 2020), emotional (Kang, Martinez, & Johnson, 2021), and spiritual well-being (Chen et al., 2021b;Chowdhury, 2018). ...
... Different from consumption reduction, refinement concentrates on the quality nature of ethical consumption. That is, refinement-oriented consumers engage in pro-ecological behavior (PEB) by purchasing or using products in harmony with the natural environment (Kang, Martinez, & Johnson, 2021;Kasser, 2017). Therefore, we refer to refinement as ethical (i.e., green) purchasing for the sake of the natural or ecological system (e.g., environmentally friendly soaps and water-efficient dishwashers) in this research (Kuanr, Pradhan, & Chaudhuri, 2020;Rich et al., 2017). ...
Consumers are regularly confronted with contagious disease cues in the surrounding environment. Based on the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study examines a silver lining of contagious disease salience (CDS) by developing a novel perspective concerning how CDS affects two forms of minimalistic consumption—reduction and refinement—that are effective approaches to improving environmental sustainability. Across three studies, we demonstrate that CDS increases minimalistic consumption. Importantly, two distinct underlying mechanisms that drive the proposed effect are identified. That is, desirability for control mediates the effect of CDS on consumption reduction (i.e., consuming less), whereas contamination concern mediates the effect of CDS on consumption refinement (i.e., consuming better). The findings not only offer novel insights into the existing research but also provide practitioners with tools to predict consumer preferences in the context of pandemic threats.
... The current study makes several contributions to the body of literature. First, prior studies on the implications of minimalism (e.g., Kang et al., 2021;Hook et al., 2021;Shafqat et al., 2023) merely looked at intrinsic experiences in consumption such as well-being, rather than taking a fuller view of what intrinsic goals consumers would feel most fulfilled and why and when they want to pursue them. The current study employs SDT as a theoretical framework to develop a conceptual model that offers comprehensive knowledge of the influence of minimalistic consumption. ...
... Self-transcendence is the highest form of human goal-setting (Koltko-Rivera, 2006). Furthermore, the disposal or donation of material possessions as typical practices of living a minimalist lifestyle could trigger altruistic feelings (Kang et al., 2021). This type of practice could enhance a greater sense of perceived transcendence (Dunn et al., 2020) and 'doing good' for others in the community (Albinsson and Perera, 2009). ...
... Notably, our study's results lift the veil on the fact that minimalism is positively associated with perceived transcendence. This is critical, given prior research (e.g., Kang et al., 2021;Hook et al., 2021;Shafqat et al., 2023) has shown consumer minimalism could enhance the emotional well-being of consumers. To some extent, our results may advance this knowledge by demonstrating the implication of minimalism in reaching a desire for transcendence, which is related to community well-being or a value beyond self. ...
In the 1987 film 'Wall Street', apart from telling the world that "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.", Gordon Gekko, portrayed by Michael Douglas, notably remarked, "I create nothing. I own." As a result, the last part of the millennium was given to excess and the never-ending pursuit of wealth and material possessions. However, recent years have seen an alternate mindset take shape. From the 'KonMari' method to Dorothy Breininger's 'five-point scale', we are now being urged to discard, declutter, and refrain from purchasing. But there are questions about why such a 'minimalist' lifestyle resonates with so many consumers worldwide. Building upon self-determination theory, the objective of the current research is to reveal the motivational goal (what), intrinsic (why) and extrinsic (when) motives that underlie minimalistic consumption. Our study examines the relationship between minimalism and perceived transcendence, along with the mediating and moderating roles of moral identity and descriptive norms, respectively. Findings from a cross-sectional sample of 529 shoppers show that minimalistic value enables consumers to fulfill their aspiration for transcendence, and that moral identity and descriptive norms explain why and when, respectively, consumers are motivated to reach this aspiration. Our study signifies the importance of cultivating the value of minimalism that helps navigate human well-being since its development provides us with a better understanding of our self-awareness as a membership in a universal unity of being, thereby expanding moral identity from self to all. We also provide theoretical and practical implications for consumers, marketers, and policymakers and shed light on further research in this emerging research domain. "It is a preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly"-Bertrand Russell.
... Individually, minimalism is linked to self-development [7,8] and personal growth [9], given its postulated health and emotional benefits [10,11]. Socially, minimalism is placed in the realm of sustainable behaviors [12] and broader movements such as degrowth [13,14], anti-consumption [15], sufficiency in consumption [16], and pro-environmental initiatives [17]. ...
... We interpret this finding considering that minimalism can be easily seen as a fashionable philosophy [81], with strong signaling appeal of one's interest for others and for the environment, while in fact it serves reputational purposes only (similar to the relationship between green narcissists and pro-environmental behaviors, [82]. This result provides evidence that minimalism in Romania is perceived to a significant degree as an individualized phenomenon [12], in line with the established relationship between materialism, and thus egoistic values, and self-enhancement values: "a person with a self-enhancement value orientation would be aware of and focus on those situations or objects that pose threats to his or her valued objects like wealth, power, and authority" [83]. In other words, indi-viduals with egoistic values may adopt a minimalist lifestyle because they are concerned that environmental degradation will affect their daily life (e.g., health and well-being at a personal level) [84,85]. ...
... ronment, while in fact it serves reputational purposes only (similar to the relationship between green narcissists and pro-environmental behaviors, [82]. This result provides evidence that minimalism in Romania is perceived to a significant degree as an individualized phenomenon [12], in line with the established relationship between materialism, and thus egoistic values, and self-enhancement values: "a person with a self-enhancement value orientation would be aware of and focus on those situations or objects that pose threats to his or her valued objects like wealth, power, and authority" [83]. In other words, individuals with egoistic values may adopt a minimalist lifestyle because they are concerned that environmental degradation will affect their daily life (e.g., health and wellbeing at a personal level) [84,85]. ...
Minimalism is a promising approach that supports consumers' shift towards sustainable behaviors , with the perks of increasing emotional well-being. To understand which socio-psychological factors and intrinsic values determine the adoption of a minimalist lifestyle, we employ an extended framework of the theory of planned behavior to investigate the drivers behind the adoption intention. We test, through a partial least squares path modelling analysis, a structural model that depicts: (i) the influences of value orientations (altruistic, bioshperic, and egoistic) on attitudes; and (ii) the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on intention. The results indicate positive effects for all examined relationships, with effect sizes highlighting that attitudes and altruistic values should be prioritized in practical interventions that support a sustainable behavior. Surprisingly, we find a positive effect also for egoistic values, suggestive of the need for future cross-cultural research on minimalism and sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe.
... Minimalism includes conscious and critical consumption [73] [74] [75] [76]. Given that sustainable consumption can take several forms, it is possible to tie it to this reduction strategy. ...
... Most research on minimalism and related consumption habits has focused on individuals and their individual lifestyle preferences. As fewer resources are consumed and depleted, reduced consumption and production are generally more environmentally friendly than excessive consumerism [74] [76] [77]. ...
... They demonstrate that, under scientific circumstances, voluntary simplicity (VS) has a stronger connection to sustainability than minimalism, although they still detect a high correlation between minimalism and environmental behaviour. More effort and investigation are invested in decision-making when there is a decline in consumption and a skeptical attitude toward making new purchases [74]. The potential of minimalism as a way of life and its high standards are pushing manufacturers toward more environmentally friendly production methods. ...
In a novel way, modern architecture has a great influence and impact on present-day contemporary architecture. Since the late 1980s, 'minimalism in architecture has been taken into consideration. Less is more is emphasized, which adheres to the philosophy of filling the space with the necessary items and clearing unneeded clutter to allow room for significant materials and objects. Minimalism exudes calm with simple shapes and clear lines, a neutral color scheme, and plain textures. Minimalism is about eliminating life's excesses. We can find freedom, contentment, and the ability to concentrate on what matters most. Whether it was during the sustainable era or in the twenty-first century, minimalism is adopting the conventional "less is more" way of life. In addition to displaying a wide range of hues, architecture is a form of art. Iranian architecture embodies historical grandeur and devotion, a commitment to religious education, and a rejection of materialism. It is a product of Islamic civilization. However, recycling well-known architectural features like minarets, courtyards, and mashrabiya frequently run afoul of modern trends in architecture, which are not necessarily opposed to the fundamentals of Islamic architecture. Minimalism is regarded as a fundamental resource and an alternative to the present standard aesthetic. In order to draw designers with sustainable goals' attention to the relationships between minimalism and sustainability, the following questions are briefly addressed in this paper. How does minimalist design work? What does minimalist design entail? Is the minimalist style the best style for environmentally friendly architecture? This paper tries to attempt to examine a minimalist aesthetic for sustainable building and design. This paper discusses a comprehensive overview and analysis of minimalism and its guiding principles in architecture. It also continues by outlining the features and minimalistic foundations of Islamic architecture.
... However, within a large body of green-related research, there is a relative lack of academic interest in topics regarding how one can personally benefit from practising proenvironmental behaviour. Only until more recently, studies have revealed that consumers can gain personal benefits from proenvironmental behaviour (Tezer and Bodur, 2020;Kasser, 2017;Kang et al., 2021). ...
... At present, environmental education has laid too much emphasis on how much we can give rather than how much we can receive (Gleim et al., 2013). Drawing from the previous (Kasser, 2017;Tezer and Bodur, 2020;Kang et al., 2021) and current results, we conclude that adolescents can benefit from proenvironmental behaviour. The current study is also significant for the environment because a reduction of adolescent materialism can decrease the increasing amount of products that young people consume (Buijzen, 2007), which factually alleviates the environmental burden. ...
... However, luxury and fashion trends are socially constructed so that the definition and connotation of luxury are developing across time (Hemetsberger et al., 2012). In the past centuries, owning more means more freedom (Veblen, 1912), whereas owning less releases modern consumers from emotional impediment (Kang et al., 2021). ...
Purpose
This study aims to explore the potential that acting proenvironmentally protects adolescents from developing materialistic value.
Design/methodology/approach
Convenience sampling was adopted to collect data from two randomly selected secondary schools in central China. A total of 784 participants were included in the survey.
Findings
The mediation analysis revealed that adolescent proenvironmental behaviour was negatively associated with materialism. The results of the moderated mediation model showed that psychological entitlement mediates the association between adolescent proenvironmental behaviour and materialism, and that family socioeconomic status acts as a moderator in the association between proenvironmental behaviour and psychological entitlement.
Practical implications
The current results advise educational practitioners on alleviating adolescent materialism. Policy makers and schools can add more environmental practice to the curriculum and extracurricular activities. Moreover, identifying the personal benefits of proenvironmental behaviour can motivate young people to act proenvironmentally, which not only factually reduces over-consumption but also attracts more attention from young people to the environment.
Originality/value
Previous studies rarely explored the individual belief or perception accounting for the negative association between proenvironmental behaviour and materialism. Therefore, the authors adopt psychological entitlement, a belief reflecting the dark side of individual perception, to explain why proenvironmental behaviour reduces materialism.
... In modern society, materialistic and consumerist creeds that encourage consumers to correlate wealth and material consumption with personal success and happiness have become common beliefs among people. However, behaviors driven by these beliefs, such as overconsumption, could impede individual, societal, and ecological well-being (Chen and Wei, 2022;Kang et al., 2021;Kasser, 2017). As such, a low-consumption lifestyle, called voluntary simplicity (VS hereafter) that appeals to individuals to seek a simple life and achieve themselves in a more meaningful, nonmaterial way emerged and bloomed. ...
... Previous research has documented that the concept of voluntary simplicity contains multiple dimensions and connotations (Pangarkar et al., 2021). For example, its meanings include the visual simplicity of design (Favier et al., 2019), the reduction of material desires and possessions (Wilson and Bellezza, 2022), the increased ecological awareness and moral consumption (Kang et al., 2021), and among others. The diverse comprehensions of VS have resulted in several limitations in the existing research, such as the lack of quantitative research and incomparable or even conflicting conclusions (Chen et al., 2021). ...
... First, we focus on the moral rather than aesthetic aspects of simplicity, so only behaviors related to moral values are investigated in this research (Herziger et al., 2020). Second, previous research has demonstrated the positive effects brought by VS behaviors, such as improving individual well-being (Lloyd and Pennington, 2020), enhancing community harmony (Chowdhury, 2018), and promoting environmental sustainability (Kang et al., 2021), are mainly associated with the consumption and disposal of a product or resource rather than a preference for visual simplicity. ...
Voluntary simplicity (VS), a minimalistic lifestyle of conscious, ecological, and ethical consumption, is increasingly gaining popularity among people. Previous research has suggested that such a sustainable lifestyle is associated with moral values; however, little is known concerning the relationship between specific moral appeals and sustainable behaviors, including VS and socially responsible (SR) consumption. Drawing from the moral foundation theory (MFT), this study investigates the effects of different moral appeals (fairness-based vs. care-based) in promoting sustainable behaviors (VS vs. SR). Across three laboratory experiments, we revealed that fairness-based appeals are more persuasive in enhancing VS behaviors, whereas care-based appeals are more effective in promoting SR behaviors. We also identify the mechanism underlying these effects such that deservingness mediates the positive effect of fairness-based appeals on persuading the adoption of VS behaviors, and reciprocity mediates the positive effect of care-based appeals on persuading the adoption of SR behaviors. Beyond their substantive theoretical significance, our findings provide marketing campaigns with tools to enact strategies that support sustainable consumption.
... Além do tipo de consumo, este estudo teve como objetivo identificar a influência da redução do consumo, através do minimalismo, sobre a felicidade. O minimalismo é um estilo de vida sustentável em que os indivíduos reduzem consideravelmente seus bens materiaista, seja pela resistência ao acúmulo de bens materiais, seja pelo comportamento de compra cauteloso de bens materiais (Kang et al., 2021). O minimalismo pode ser descrito como um estilo de vida que atende aos objetivos de bem-estar pessoal e consumo sustentável (Kang et al., 2021;Kasser, 2009;Lloyd & Pennington, 2020), o que o torna um antecedente para a felicidade (Alexander & Ussher, 2012;Boujbel & d'Astous, 2012). ...
... O minimalismo é um estilo de vida sustentável em que os indivíduos reduzem consideravelmente seus bens materiaista, seja pela resistência ao acúmulo de bens materiais, seja pelo comportamento de compra cauteloso de bens materiais (Kang et al., 2021). O minimalismo pode ser descrito como um estilo de vida que atende aos objetivos de bem-estar pessoal e consumo sustentável (Kang et al., 2021;Kasser, 2009;Lloyd & Pennington, 2020), o que o torna um antecedente para a felicidade (Alexander & Ussher, 2012;Boujbel & d'Astous, 2012). Nesse contexto, acreditamos que as pessoas que consomem menos materiais, irão preferir o consumo experiencial e, consequentemente, aumentar sua felicidade. ...
... A simplicidade voluntária (SV) é a escolha do livre arbítrio para limitar os gastos com bens e serviços e cultivar fontes não-materialistas de satisfação e significado (Etzioni, 1998), o que resulta em um estilo de vida anticonsumidor ou de consumo reduzido, opondo-se ao consumo elevado (Alexander, 2011). O minimalismo é um estilo de vida que se aproxima da SV (Hausen, 2019), porque é um estilo de vida em que os indivíduos buscam redução de consumo material e acúmulo de posses (Kang et al., 2021), porém não se aproximam de orientações ambientais ou sociopolíticas como a SV (Elgin & Mitchell, 1977;Kang et al., 2021;Kraisornsuthasinee & Swierczek, 2018). Segundo Dopierała (2017), o minimalismo é uma "segunda onda" de SV que se alinha mais com a redução do consumo porque traz de volta o consumismo como fonte de significado. ...
O objetivo desta pesquisa é propor e testar um modelo teórico que represente a relação entre minimalismo, felicidade, satisfação com a vida e consumo experiencial. Foi realizada uma pesquisa com 395 corredores amadores brasileiros e os dados foram analisados pela técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Os principais resultados mostraram que a satisfação com a vida e o consumo experiencial influenciaram positivamente a felicidade, e o minimalismo influenciou o consumo experiencial. Além disso, o minimalismo não influenciou a felicidade. O modelo proposto mostrou que a satisfação com a vida e o consumo experiencial explicam 54,2% da felicidade dos praticantes de lazer. A pesquisa avança nas relações de consumo experiencial e na felicidade e destaca que um estilo de vida minimalista, através da redução do consumo, não aumenta a felicidade. Contudo, se incentivamos o consumo de experiências, a felicidade é incrementada. Consequentemente, se as pessoas buscarem por mais experiências, poderão preterir o consumo material e, naturalmente, reduzir esse tipo de consumo.
... Whilst the broader retail sector was expected to shrink by 15% between 2019 and 2021, online secondhand was projected to grow by 69% over the same period (ThredUp, 2020). Kang et al. (2021) suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced people to reflect on their belongings and consumption habits, prompting some to turn to a more 'minimalist' ...
... This supports notions from resale retailers that the secondhand market is projected to experience huge growth in the coming years, even overtaking the fast fashion market (ThredUp, 2020). Instagram may be being used to buy and sell these garments rather than other online alternatives such as Depop and eBay, which incur fees; however, this could also be related to COVID-19 and people downsizing their wardrobes for financial reasons or changes in consumer outlooks (Kang et al., 2021). Clusters within the broader #sustainablefashion community present varied themes like eco-friendly and artisan values, however much of the content appears to include some type of promotional elementa paradoxical challenge present within sustainable fashion and social media in general. ...
The social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry face increasing scrutiny. As such, consumers and brands look towards 'sustainable fashion' for low-impact alternatives. Simultaneously, visual social media platforms such as Instagram have become prevalent places for fashion advertising and discourse. To investigate this under-researched area, the current study utilises visual content and social network analysis to explore how sustainable fashion is presented on Instagram, specifically: (a) what visual characteristics are present within sustainable fashion content, and (b) in what broader contexts and communities is discussion of sustainable fashion taking place? Posts included under the hashtag #sustainablefashion (N = 650) were inspected for visual characteristics, including type of clothing, presence of person, post setting, presence of nature, and post format. Most posts were photographs located indoors with no person and no nature-based elements. The hashtags used alongside #sustainablefashion were analysed with Gephi software to establish a social network and community groups of related topics. Network analysis revealed four key community groups: online-promotional, artisan-traditional, eco-ethical, and Malay-online-selling. Secondhand fashion also appeared to be the most prominent sustainable fashion alternative on Instagram. This study is one of the first to investigate the characteristics of user-generated #sustainablefashion content on Instagram. Whilst social media is a burgeoning avenue for research, existing studies primarily investigate how these platforms can be harnessed for advertising, rather than what users themselves are already posting. Implications for brands who use this platform and opportunities for future research are discussed.
... The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has led to growing interest as well [63,64]. There are three main ways in which a minimal life res in modern society and why it is gaining attention as a new lifestyle. ...
... The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has led to growing interest in the minimal life as well [63,64]. There are three main ways in which a minimal life resonates with people in modern society and why it is gaining attention as a new lifestyle. ...
This study empirically analyzes the effects of four lifestyles of office workers (work and life balance, you only live once (YOLO), minimal life, and staycation), which have been changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, on organizational effectiveness (measured by job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior). A questionnaire survey was conducted over four months through a global research firm. In total, 649 valid questionnaires were collected. A structural equation model analysis was performed on valid samples using SmartPLS statistics. The results were as follows: (1) Work and life balance, YOLO, and minimal life had a statistically significant positive effect on job satisfaction. (2) Minimal life had a statistically significant positive effect on organizational commitment. (3) Work and life balance, and staycation had statistically significant positive effects on organizational citizenship behavior. (4) Job satisfaction had a statistically significant positive effect on organizational commitment. (5) Job satisfaction and organizational commitment had a statistically significant positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior. This is the first empirical study to focus on four lifestyles (work–life balance, YOLO, minimal life, and staycation). The results show that job satisfaction was affected the most by YOLO,’ that organizational commitment was affected the most by minimal life, and that organizational citizenship behavior was affected the most by work–life balance.
... First, existing research shows that autonomy and possessiveness are highly correlated, and individuals with high autonomy are free to pursue objects without the influence of others (Kang et al., 2021;Mangold and Zschau, 2019). The high autonomy of cool brands reduces the consumer's sense of control over the brand, indicating that cool brands are not easily controlled. ...
Purpose
Building on the theory of brand psychological ownership, this paper aims to explore the mediating role of brand psychological ownership in the relationship between brand personality (innocence/coolness) and consumers’ preferences, as well as identify the boundary conditions of this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the hypotheses, a series of four experiments were conducted in Wuhan, a city in southern China, using questionnaires administered at two universities and two supermarkets. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.
Findings
The results indicate that brand personality, specifically the dimensions of innocence and coolness, has a significant impact on consumers’ brand preferences. Brands with a cool personality are preferred over those with an innocent personality. Moreover, the relationship between brand personality and consumers’ brand preferences is moderated by power motivation and identity centrality.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by differentiating between brand personality of innocence and coolness as two separate constructs and proposing brand psychological ownership as a mechanism through which brand personality affects brand preferences. The study’s samples were drawn from universities and supermarkets in southern China, providing evidence for the significant moderating effects of power motivation and identity centrality on consumers’ brand preferences.
... Green infrastructure/sustainable practices: Sustainable living often involves reducing one's consumption of resources, such as energy, water, and materials. This can be achieved through energy conservation, water conservation, and waste reduction [151]. It involves supporting businesses and organizations that adopt sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy, reducing waste, and protecting the environment [152]. ...
This paper delves into the multifaceted concept of sustainability, covering its evolution, laws, principles, as well as the different domains and challenges related to achieving it in the modern world. Although capitalism, socialism, and communism have been utilized throughout history, their strengths and drawbacks have failed to address sustainable development comprehensively. Therefore, a holistic approach is necessary, which forms the basis for a new development model called sustainalism. This study proposes a new socio-economic theory of sustainalism that prioritizes quality of life, social equity, culture, world peace, social justice, and well-being. This paper outlines the six principles of sustainalism and identifies sustainalists as individuals who embrace these new concepts. This study also explores how to attain sustainalism in the modern world through a sustainable revolution, representing a step toward a sustainable era. In conclusion, this paper summarizes the key points and emphasizes the need for a new approach to sustainalism in the broader sense. The insights provided are valuable for further research on sustainalism and sustainability.
... According to the Theory of Planned Activity, attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all influence behaviours and behavioural intentions. Regarding Minimalism, attitudes toward behavior reflect an individual's evaluation of Minimalism (Kang et al., 2021). At the same time, subjective norms refer to the social influence to lead a life of Minimalism, and perceived behavioral control is the ability of an individual to engage in Minimalism. ...
The annual conference PRISM 2023, is a flagship initative of the foundaon.IIM Nagpur is the host for the PRISM Conference 2022 on the theme "Leading the business of the future:Talent, Technology and Transformation in a Changing World". The various stakeholders from academia, business, regulators, policymakers, and mullateral agencies were invited to present insights on the future of business in a sustainable, technology-driven environment.
... Sustainable lifestyle choices, such as environmentally friendly shopping or low-carbon consumption by buying products with minimal packaging and made from recycled materials (Kang et al., 2021;Lloyd and Pennington, 2020), have been acknowledged to be a component place of sustainable production and consumption landscape. In addition to sustainable consumption, sustainable mobility contributes significantly to low-carbon development by reducing GHG emissions, improving air quality, reducing congestion, and promoting investment in infrastructure to increase access to mobility (Jeyaseelan et al., 2022). ...
Far-reaching changes in daily life present a pressing need to balance energy consumption with environmental impact. Previous research on household carbon emissions generally described its contributors in disposable income, consumption pattern, and household-related lifestyle, whereas they have not fully explored how carbon emissions relate to residents' day-to-day lifestyles. Given that individual lifestyles within a household may be correlated, there is a need to disentangle the clustering effect of household members' lifestyles and their association with household carbon emissions. This study used micro-macro multilevel modelling to examine the structure of individual lifestyles and their impact on household carbon emissions for 8618 multiple occupancy households of 19,816 respondents in the UK Household Longitudinal Study dataset. The results showed that a factor capturing energy-saving lifestyle behaviours significantly reduced housing fuel use emissions and a second capturing transportation and consumption choices cut motor emissions. Interestingly, the contribution of energy-saving lifestyle in cutting down housing-fuel-using emissions becomes more pronounced when household income and household characteristics (e.g., household size, dwelling, house ownership, number of cars, urbanity, employment) were controlled for. Contrarily, the strength of green transportation and consumption lifestyle contributing to lower motor emissions was weakened after controlling for household characteristics. Findings indicated that day-to-day lifestyle not only reflects individual variability in sustainable living but also systematic household variation in carbon emissions. Knowledge of which living patterns are responsible for disproportionately high levels of carbon emissions can enhance effective targeted policy aimed at stimulating sustainable lifestyles and carbon reduction.
... The current reality is characterized by the overconsumption of products and information, and the difficulty is related to filtering consumption by moving away from marketingimposed desires to what a person really needs for happy and healthy life. In this case, a striking example is the minimalism movement, which is the opposite of the artificially created picture of "success" and "happiness" [10]. ...
The problem of consumerism is very relevant in the global context, as it is directly linked to the deteriorating ecological situation. Since the physical and digital environments are closely linked, the authors try to explore their interdependence in the context of responsible consumption. This research aimed to construct a tool for a comparative assessment of responsible consumption within physical and digital environments. Based on deep theoretical analysis, the authors developed the methodology of measuring the level of responsible consumption represented by the following categories: food, waste, transport, clothing, energy and water consumption, and active participation. According to this analytical system, a survey was developed and conducted among students at the University of Barcelona and the University of Bielefeld, and the results were transformed into a fuzzy-multiple model. In the digital environment analysis, the authors used an algorithm for assessing the relative presence of certain tonal and content-thematic components in the digital background of the subject under study through using the Python 3 programming language. The algorithm was tested for the assessment of the level of responsible consumption among members of two social network student communities, represented by the official accounts of the University of Barcelona and the University of Bielefeld on Instagram. The correlation between the indicators of the physical and digital environment was proved as a result of comparative analysis. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the proposed methodology, which aims to conduct a comparative analysis of responsible consumption in the physical and digital environments, while using valid but different indicators to assess consumer behavior in each of the environments. The practical implementation of the study is that the proposed methodology allows universities to investigate how their students adhere to responsible consumption and to what extent the topic of responsible consumption is expressed in informational accounts of universities and, in accordance with this, to develop measures to influence both of these parameters.
... Minimalism has proved to be a sustainable lifestyle that declutters not only spaces but minds. It has also been proved that it alleviates depression and improves wellbeing [63]. People seem to be more comfortable with warning signs in 2022 so this attribute, contrarily to the other COVID-19-related attributes, obtains more positive feedback. ...
As COVID-19 spread throughout the world, the hospitality and tourism sectors were hard hit as no other industry. For this reason, the UNWTO developed the One Planet Vision as a response to a sustainable recovery of the tourism sector. At present, when people are starting to travel and stay at hotels again, it is important to analyze what their expectations are of hotels to move forward in the post-pandemic era. For instance, empirical research has been developed to examine people’s sentiments toward servicescapes, and a comparative study is presented between 2020 and 2022. Findings contribute to the research by identifying new servicescape attributes during a health crisis. These also lead to practical implications by proposing a scale to evaluate customers’ perceptions and to increase their wellbeing and resilience. The current research is one of the first studies to collaborate with the One Planet Vision by empirically proposing improvements in the servicescapes of hotels for a responsible recovery.
... Minimalism is an important part of the foundation of modern design. Still, others combine these characteristics with their style and touch to create a unique modern style that belongs to the designer himself (Kang et al., 2021). Nader Khalili is one of the famous architects who lived in the modern period. ...
Contemporary architecture exists in Nader Khalili’s creative designs, including house designs in the USA and Iran, combined with the traditional architecture of Iran. His designs are founded on four characteristics, first is the inspiration from nature, and the other three focuses on low-cost, self-help, and eco-friendliness. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate his architectural thinking and the design process that leads to a rapid and sustainable shelter. In addition, this shelter can be built-in critical conditions or can be long-lasting in any crucial situation. The methodology used in this study is analytical based on qualitative and quantitative approach. The method, which is used to collect the data, is based on literature review and observation. The study concludes that Khalili’s designs are reasonable at low prices and quickly built and sustainable.
... Gaya hidup tersebut segera mendapatkan momentum dan menjadi tren di banyak tempat. Pertama kali ia berkembang di Jepang dan Amerika, namun kini ia merambah luas hingga di Asia dan Afrika pula (Kang et al., 2021) Di Indonesia sendiri telah dilakukan banyak penerjemahan buku dari para penulis utama gaya hidup minimalisme. Mereka diantaranya seperti Kondo (2014); Sasaki (2015); Jay (2019). ...
Materialist lifestyle produces consumptive behavior which ultimately has a broad impact on a person. The most dangerous impact is on mental health where individuals are more susceptible to depression when they do not feel they have enough. Responding to this condition, modern western society has created minimalist lifestyle. This lifestyle is characterized by a deliberate restriction of ownership of things. As for Islam, there is the concept of zuhud which means turning a Muslim away from all worldly things. Although by naked eye, minimalist behavior has similarities with zuhud, there are fundamental differences between the two. The purpose of this study was to identify the differences between minimalism and zuhud and their effect on mental health. Using the literature review method, this study reveals that zuhud guarantees a more stable and authentic mental health, especially for Muslims. The greater positive influence is caused by the reference point of the performer of zuhud in the hereafter rather than the world, and zuhud having an integrative-interconnective relationship with other rites in Islam. Keywords: islamic psychology, mental health, minimalism, zuhud
... This is likely promoted by the fact that decluttering is communicated as a form of self-care and a variety of ego-related benefits are emphasized (see Decluttering as housework and care). However, this could also be seen as an unintentional way toward promoting sufficient consumption (Callmer, 2019;Kang et al., 2021). While, for instance, sufficient consumption is still perceived as a loss or a restriction by many population groups, decluttering and lifestyle minimalism guides shift the feeling of guilt or loss and promote the idea of enjoyment in the process of reducing material possession instead (Chamberlin and Callmer, 2021). ...
Popular literature and guidebooks on minimalism and decluttering have brought the idea of “less is more” into the mainstream. Although decluttering constitutes a central household chore in consumer societies, it is rarely communicated as work within the current popular minimalism discourse, but rather as an expression of self-care. Whether and to what extent this “lifestyle minimalism” can contribute to sustainable consumption has – with a few exceptions – not yet been studied in detail. In this article, decluttering is first conceptualized in between housework and self-care. Based on this work, potentials and limits for the promotion of sustainable consumption are outlined. Finally, initial insights from an ongoing citizen science project on decluttering in Germany are presented. The qualitative results from two workshops and two reflection exercises show that the main motivation for participants is the dissatisfaction with their multitude of possessions and the desire for fewer material possessions in the future. The decision to declutter can be understood as a window of opportunity in which individuals are willing to reflect on and realign their possessions and desires for goods. Thus, we argue that decluttering can be a relevant starting point for changing consumption behavior toward (more) sustainable consumption. At the same time, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the participants' willingness to change regarding possessions and consumption actually leads to more sustainable consumption behavior after decluttering. It is even conceivable that the newly gained space will stimulate additional consumption. Decluttering would then rather function as a catalyst for further consumption (and would have no or rather a negative contribution to sustainability goals). Further research is needed to shed light on this.
... Basically minimalism as an example of anti-consumer-oriented social practices ('Minimalism -a New Mode of Consumption?', 2017). Currently minimalism become trend among youth (Kang et al., 2021;Pangarkar et al., 2021). The expanding consumerist movement known as "minimalism" encourages people to disconnect themselves from their material demands and possessions (Boutroy, 2021). ...
International Conference on Muslim Psychologist 2022
... First, to explore and identify the types of motivation on food choice, and second, to examine the relationships of these types of motivations with sustainable food neophobia and willingness to try them essentially testing the conceptual model and addressing the gap within literature. This step-by-step method is known for its ability to increase the generalizability of findings, is common practice in structural equation modeling (SEM), and has been done before in similar studies (Kang et al., 2021;Kline, 2015). Discussing the study as a step-by-step process helps to explain and clarify the procedures and contributes to the study's transparency. ...
Food sustainability has been a growing focus in an attempt to limit climate change; as a result, the sustainable food market and an onset of social behaviors, such as shopping local and eating plant-based, is increasing. Limited however, is the understanding of how these sustainable food options are perceived among individuals who have different motivations for eating the way that they do. The situated identity enactment model and food neophobia literature are used to conceptualize the development of a model outlining how physical health, culture, and sustainability driven motivations of food patterns influence one's fear of sustainable food—moving beyond attitude as a suitable measurement in this context due to the complexity in the way select situational ques are cognitively processed. Data were collected among a representative U.S sample (n = 414) and analyzed through structural equation modeling using plant-based meat as the product of focus. Individuals whose food choices are culturally driven showed greater sustainable food neophobia and as motivations were more sustainability driven, the less fear they had of such foods. Contrary to what existing literature suggests, those driven by physical health showed no significance in the effects of their food patterns on neophobia even when considering a food option often positioned as healthier. Results also provided evidence of high local identity being a positive predictor of neophobia among those whose choices were culturally and sustainably driven. This study highlights the sensitivity of sustainable food and the importance of considering context, norms, and identity on food behaviors, regardless of one's underlying motives for food choices. Findings are influential in advancing social psychology literature on food behaviors and encourages the use of the model on other sustainable food products.
... According to the conceptual framework of the International research network on Sustainable Fashion Consumption, consumption of fashion is comprised of three key phases: acquisition, use, and disposal, and at each of these phases, consumers can engage into more sustainable consumption practices . The widest spectrum of options is available at the acquisition phase, from different forms of collaborative fashion consumptionincluding buying second-hand, swapping, and renting garments , to buying less all together (Kang et al., 2021;Vladimirova, 2021). Admittedly, only a handful of studies (Mukendi and Henninger, 2020) have measured the sustainability dimensions of different forms fashion consumption that are considered "sustainable" . ...
The COVID-19 pandemic caused and still causes unprecedented disruptions in daily lives of billions of people globally. It affects practices and routines across all household consumption domains, including clothing consumption. Drawing on Social Practice Theory, this article explores and compares changes in clothing acquisition practices during COVID-19 across nine countries: the USA, the UK, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Iran, Czech Republic, India, and Hong Kong SAR. Data was obtained through a standardized survey containing rated and open-ended questions, which were analyzed through descriptive quantitative analysis and inductive qualitative content analysis of open-ended questions. The results of this cross-country research indicate that all forms of fashion consumption, including more sustainable practices, have decreased during the pandemic. The most visible impacts have occurred in the material arrangements associated with fashion acquisition practices (e.g., closed physical shops, shipping disruptions, cancelled events, remote work, etc.). However, changes that result from these disruptions may be shorter-lived that changes that happened as a result of changing meanings associated with fashion consumption and its more sustainable forms and new competencies and skills acquired during the pandemic that could ensure more lasting practicing of more sustainable forms of fashion consumption.
... basically minimalism as an example of anti-consumer-oriented social practices ('Minimalism -a New Mode of Consumption?', 2017). Currently minimalism become trend among youth (Kang et al., 2021;Pangarkar et al., 2021). The expanding consumerist movement known as "minimalism" encourages people to disconnect themselves from their material demands and possessions (Boutroy, 2021). ...
Eco-friendly schools are currently popular among Malaysian middle and upper classes. because they teach youngsters about minimalism and provide an eco-friendly learning environment. They teach children about minimalism and provide an eco-friendly learning environment. The trendy minimalist lifestyle is the opponent of overconsumption. In Islam, a minimalist lifestyle is considered as an effort to raise muslim knowledge of environmental issues while respecting Maqasid al-Sharia values (Hifz al-biah). In education, students' knowledge, perspectives, and interests determine overall understanding and acceptance of minimalism. 74 students from three Eco-high schools in Kuala Lumpur participated in our quantitative study, which was evaluated with SPSS 20. Respondents must be Muslim, and the majority are Malays. The questionnaire has four sections, one for demographics and three for factors. The study found high total average knowledge (Min=3.86, SP=.573), perception (Min 3.90, SP=.477), and curiosity (Min 3.86, SP=.573). The study found that pupils had good stage awareness. The majority of students believe that minimalism is the implementation of Zuhd (asceticism) that always feel Qanaah (always feel enough) and is vital to increasing awareness toward zero-waste.
... Social scientists are only recently beginning to study people attracted to this movement toward minimalism (Kang et al., 2021;Lloyd & Pennington, 2020). However, the concept of minimalism is similar to the construct of voluntary simplicity, which has received considerable scientific attention over the years (Reboucas & Soares, 2021). ...
Research has accumulated over the years to support the adage that ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ As an alternative to the high-consumption lifestyle often found in Western cultures, voluntary simplicity (also referred to as minimalism), involves a lifestyle that is focused on reducing consumption and the excess in one’s life so that individuals can focus on prioritizing their values. We reviewed the empirical literature for studies that explored the relationship between voluntary simplicity and well-being. Twenty-three empirical studies were identified. Overall, a consistent positive relationship was found between voluntary simplicity and well-being. Potential mechanisms to explain this relationship included the control of consumption desires and psychological need satisfaction. Potential moderator variables included income, age, and the extent to which voluntary simplicity was self- vs. other-initiated. We concluded by discussing limitations and future directions for research.
The link between effort and individual well-being has been the subject of contentious debate. Economic and some psychological models analyze effort as a cost or a disutility, while other philosophical and psychological theories argue that personal effort is a pivotal element for a flourishing life. These theories also distinguish between higher and lower pleasures. To assess the contested contribution of effort to personal well-being, we analyze survey data gathered from 1954 working adults aged 25 to 65 in Israel. We analyze their subjective assessments of the effort they exert in different life domains and support the validity of our analysis by comparing them to choice scenarios in each domain. The results contribute three key findings: 1. Effort in five life domains—work, leisure activities, friendship, community and health—as well as effort of managing work life balance, was found to be positively associated with at least one component of subjective well-being, while effort to make work more intrinsically rewarding was found to be associated with all three components—affect, cognition and meaning—of an individual’s subjective well-being. 2. These efforts are not strongly correlated among themselves, implying that people can choose how to allocate their efforts among the various life domains. 3. People’s assessments of their future subjective well-being are positively correlated with their expectations regarding future effort. These results suggest that effort and well-being are correlated through hedonic capital accumulation.
The COVID-19 pandemic, as a global crisis, has affected the clothing consumption behaviour of consumers and it might create long-lasting changes in the fashion industry. Such behavioural shifts during global crises should be considered for sustainability-related marketing concepts and the way marketers promote sustainable clothing consumption during and after the crisis. This study explores the determinants of a shift in consumer values towards minimalistic clothing consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in the under-researched country context of Iran. First, a literature review was conducted on topics including sustainable fashion consumption and the COVID-19 pandemic, the status of sustainable fashion consumption in Iran, as well as the influence of demographic characteristics on sustainable consumption behaviour. Second, a quantitative survey was administered to a sample of Iranian consumers ( N = 382). The results reveal a value shift towards more minimalism and sufficiency in clothing consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in the country context of Iran. Moreover, the findings highlight that age and gender significantly influenced the extent of this shift in values, while surprisingly no significant value shift was found because of employment or income changes. This article makes a unique contribution by exploring the value shifts towards minimalistic clothing consumption during global crises. Furthermore, the results of the study shed some light on consumption behaviour in an under-researched middle eastern area.
Voluntary simplicity (VS) refers to a minimalistic lifestyle of conscious, ecological, and ethical consumption, which is conducive to individual, societal, and environmental well-being. For policymakers and business managers, a key to leveraging this consumer shift is to promote persuasive appeals effectively. This research theorizes that the two forms of VS appeals are systematically associated with distinct temporal landmarks. In particular, we demonstrate that consumers are more likely to engage in biospheric voluntary simplicity (BVS) when priming a temporal landmark as the start of a time period. In contrast, consumers are more likely to participate in egoistic voluntary simplicity (EVS) when priming a temporal landmark as the end of a time period. Notably, the matching effects are driven by distinct mechanisms, such that the effect of a match between a start temporal landmark and BVS appeals is driven by self-transcendence, whereas the effect of a match between an end temporal landmark and EVS appeals is motivated by self-enhancement. Beyond their substantive theoretical significance, our findings provide marketing campaigns with tools to enact strategies that support voluntary simplicity.
Purpose: The objective of this study is to analyze the relationships between material, or frugal, consumption and the congruence between personal and spiritual life, mediated by the search for well-being, generating a segmentation proposal.
Methodology/approach: Structural Equation Modeling and regression tests were used for mediation and moderation analysis, complemented by Latent Class Analysis for sample segmentation
Originality/Relevance: The study pioneeringly investigates material, frugal, and wellness consumption relationships, as well as the indirect role of positive emotions with the congruence between personal and spiritual life, to propose a segmentation of consumers in a crisis situation.
Key findings: The results indicated that well-being and positive emotions allow for moderate mediation, enabling consumers to reconcile both frugal and material goals with a balanced life, individually and spiritually. The proposed segmentation identified three distinct groups based on congruence between practical and spiritual life.
Theoretical/methodological contributions: The study advances the understanding of heterogeneous consumer profiles in crisis situations, proposing to practitioners and policymakers to better know the profile of consumers in a health crisis. Methodologically the study combines structural equation modeling, mediation and moderation analysis, and latent class analysis to reach the study’s objective.
Minimalism, which encourages people to live with fewer possessions, is an emerging theme in marketing communication that often appeals to the sustainable ideal of reducing consumption and waste (e.g., Patagonia's “Buy less” campaign). However, consumers' responses to this marketing approach remain under‐researched. We investigate whether consumers' responses to minimalist appeals depend on their socioeconomic status. We find that consumers with lower socioeconomic status report less favorable evaluations of brands that adopt minimalist appeals, because these consumers tend to prefer quantity over quality in daily consumption—a preference that is incongruent with minimalism. This effect is moderated by the considerations of product‐usage frequency: even consumers with low socioeconomic status can become more favorable toward minimalist brands if the benefit of minimalism, namely the increased usage of each product, is salient.
The purpose of the study is to explore the antecedents of minimalism and, further, to study the impact of minimalism on millennials’ well-being via a sense of fulfilment. To understand the origins of minimalism and its following effects on well-being, a theoretical framework is created. An online survey with a structured questionnaire was created to collect the necessary data from respondents. SMART PLS was used to analyse the suggested framework. This research establishes the mediating role of a sense of fulfilment in the interactions between minimalism and well-being and shows how environmental awareness, contemporary aesthetics, voluntary simplicity, normative influence, and resource sharing positively lead to minimalism. A minimalist lifestyle will help to preserve precious resources, reduce waste, and lower carbon emissions, all of which will have a significant positive influence on the environment. Additionally, clearing up clutter will give them more room and time, which will improve their well-being because they will have more time for their family and interests. The study suggests a thorough model to comprehend the origins of minimalism. Additionally, it established a connection between well-being and minimalism.
Contemporary Japanese youth are allegedly consumption aversive. We developed a measure of consumption aversion and examined its factor structure, validated in relation to social comparison and obedience. Additionally, its relationship to well-being was analyzed. Different theories make competing predictions; theories on materialism and thrift life predict a positive correlation between consumption aversion and well-being, while those on hedonic consumption and curiosity/interest predict a negative correlation. In Study 1, Japanese students (N = 269) completed questionnaires on consumption aversion and well-being. In Study 2, participants (N = 178) completed a modified consumption aversion scale to measure reduced interest in listed items instead of reduced spending, enabling differentiating reduced interest from spending to examine the curiosity/interest theory. The findings showed that (1) consumption aversion comprises two factors: youth and traditional matters—this could not be explained through the experiential versus material consumption distinction; (2) consumption aversion to youth matters was negatively related to social comparison for opinion—both youth and traditional aversions were positively related to obedient conformity; (3) Japanese students are consumption aversive on average; (4) consumption aversion in youth matters was related to lower, while in traditional matters was related to higher psychological well-being—the latter conflicts with the hedonic consumption hypothesis but is consistent with thrift life theory; (5) covariance with materialism did not explain the consumption aversion–well-being relation; and (6) relation between traditional matters and well-being differed across reduced interest and spending—that between youth matters and well-being was equivalent across reduced interest and spending. The results partially support the curiosity/behavior activation theory.
This study aims to investigate the contribution of voluntary simplicity to psychological resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. Distinctively, the study investigates (1) how a voluntary simplicity lifestyle (VSL) supports psychological well-being in terms of the valuation of life, mental health, and boredom experienced during the pandemic crisis and (2) whether pandemic-induced psychological states encourage the intention for a future VSL. Data were collected in Turkey through an online survey of 541 participants in the Covid-19 period. Analysis results revealed that not all but certain VSL aspects supported psychological resilience by promoting the valuation of life, mental health, and alleviating boredom during the pandemic. Material independency appeared as the most prominent VSL value contributing to psychological resilience. Findings revealed that a high valuation of life and high mental stress during the pandemic motivates individuals for future simple lives. The present study enhances the current knowledge about voluntary simplicity during highly stressful periods.
Psikolojinin önemli konularından olan duygu konusuyla ilgili geçmişten günümüze çok sayıda çalışma yapılmıştır. Yapılan çalışmaların çoğunluğunda duygular sınıflandırılmış ve üzüntü duygusu temel duygular arasında kabul edilmiştir. Duygu konusu, psikolojinin yanı sıra farklı disiplinlere mensup kişilerin de ilgisini çekmiştir. Bu noktada, ilk İslam filozofu olarak kabul edilen Ebû Yûsuf Ya’kub b. İshâk b. Es-Sabbâh el-Kindî de duygu konusu ve bilhassa üzüntü duygusuyla yakından ilgilenmiştir. Kindî, üzüntü duygusuyla ilgili müstakil bir eser dahi kaleme almıştır. Bu çalışmada üzüntü duygusunun Kindî’nin düşünce sistemindeki ve modern psikolojideki yeri karşılaştırmalı bir şekilde incelenmektedir. Çalışmanın yöntemi olarak nitel araştırma yöntemi seçilmiştir. Çalışmanın verileri doküman incelemesi tekniği kullanılarak elde edilmiştir. Araştırmada durum çalışması deseni kullanılmıştır. Çalışmada öncelikle duygu konusu ve üzüntü duygusu psikolojik açıdan ele alınmaktadır. Akabinde Kindî’nin düşünce sisteminde duygu konusu ve üzüntü duygusu üzerinde durulmakta ve onun üzüntü duygusundan kurtulmak için önerdiği çözüm yollarına yer verilmektedir. Gerçekleştirilen inceleme sonucunda duyguların tasnifi, üzüntü duygusunun diğer duygular arasındaki konumu, üzüntünün sebepleri ve insan hayatına etkileri açısından modern psikolojinin verileri ile Kindî’nin görüşlerinin büyük oranda örtüştüğü tespit edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda, duygu konusunun ve üzüntü duygusunun Batı menşeli bir bilim dalı olan psikolojide ve ilk İslam filozofu olan Kindî’nin düşünce sisteminde oldukça benzer şekilde değerlendirildiği görülmektedir.
Aklı ve duygularıyla diğer varlıklardan ayrılan insanın ihtiyaçları arasında mutluluk, huzur ve hayatın anlamı gibi soyut şeyler mevcuttur. Gelişen teknoloji ve değişen yaşam koşullarının etkisiyle uzun zamandır statü ve mutluluğun fazla eşya ve maddiyat ile alakalı olduğu görüşü insanlar arasında yayılmakta ve yayın organlarıyla bu fikir lanse edilmektedir. Son dönemde ise mutluluğun ve hayatın anlamının eşya biriktirmekle değil, sade bir yaşamla elde edileceğini iddia eden minimalizm akımı popüler hale gelmektedir. Bununla birlikte, dinî öğretilere bakıldığında eşyaya yönelik tavır hususunda minimalizmle benzerlik olduğu görülmektedir. Bu bağlamda, minimalizm ile dinî hayat arasındaki ilişki çalışmanın konusunu teşkil etmektedir. Gerçekleştirilen çalışmada yöntem olarak nitel araştırma yöntemi seçilmiştir. Araştırmanın deseni ise nitel yöntem desenlerinden olan durum çalışması desenidir. Araştırmanın verilerinin elde edilmesinde nitel araştırma yöntemi veri toplama tekniklerinden olan doküman analizi tekniği kullanılmıştır. Yapılan araştırma sonucunda minimalist yaşam tarzı ile dinî hayat arasında gerek uygulanma şekilleri gerekse nihâi etkileri bakımından birçok ortak noktanın mevcut olduğu görülmüştür.
The dominance of minimalism as a lifestyle among individuals and its influence on sustainable consumption has increased significantly; still, the concept within academic literature is conjecture in nature and exploratory to date. Also, a concrete definition of the concept and empirical evidence is lacking in academic literature and hence needs to be systemically established. In this context, minimalism has been proposed as a deliberate paradigm shift in consumer behavior grounded on the sustainable lifestyle principle. The data were collected using a highly structured questionnaire from 436 consumers and analyzed using process macros analysis techniques. The study indicates that minimalism is a sustainable lifestyle choice and helps people in achieving consumer well-being and life satisfaction focus on what matters the most in life and where to devote their energies. As a result, people with greater life satisfaction and consumer well-being are likely to experience more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions, eventually leading to an overall state of positive emotional well-being. Moreover, minimalists with high control over their consumption desire further strengthen this relationship. This research deepens the understanding of minimalism in an Asian context by opening a future research avenue and exploring the additional contributions minimalism can make. Moreover this study offers a clear rationale to understand why it is valuable for customers to incorporate minimalism into their lifestyles, which has the potential to motivate the manufacturer to seek more significant production modes which accord with the minimalistic lifestyle.
Capsule hotels have increased in popularity among both tourists and business travelers. This study aims to understand how minimalistic lifestyle appeals affect tourist responses (i.e., attitudes and booking intentions) to capsule hotels from the perspective of brand personality. In particular, Study 1 (N = 186) demonstrates that competent hotel brands benefit from using egoistic minimalistic lifestyle (EML) appeals, whereas sincere hotel brands benefit from biospheric minimalistic lifestyle (BML) appeals when marketing capsule hotels to tourists. Moreover, Study 2 (N = 202) identifies two underlying mechanisms driving these effects, such that the need for autonomy mediates the relationship between an EML appeal and a competent hotel brand while connectedness to nature mediates the relationship between a BML appeal and a sincere hotel brand with respect to tourist responses to capsule hotels. Beyond their theoretical implications for the existing literature, our findings encourage hospitality and tourism managers to enact certain strategies (e.g., minimalistic lifestyle appeals or brand personality positioning) in capsule hotel marketing.
Although there is an increase in research on different aspects of voluntary simplicity (VS), there is less understanding of the trajectories that individuals follow when adopting a voluntary simplicity lifestyle, and how transitioning to this lifestyle relates to inner growth. The aim of the paper is to examine the role of inner growth on differentiating voluntary simplicity from other lifestyles. We draw on the framework of resonance by Rosa (2019), who claims the need to move from a state of permanent search for material resources, to develop a resonant relationship with the world. Resonance is a way of relating to the world, where individuals and the world mutually affect each other in an interactive way. Seventeen in-depth interviews were held with voluntary simplifiers living in Chile. The findings propose a model that identifies three different trajectories that people follow to achieve a voluntary simplicity lifestyle and the implication for inner growth as a result of more resonant relationships with the world.
The earth's resources are being exhausted at an ever-increasing pace by humans. This is the outcome of an ever-increasing level of consumption per person multiplied by an ever-increasing global population. The demand for resources and the conditions needed to support it increases as the population grows. Therefore, increasing consumption and fast depletion of resources requires need for minimalism requires to learn how to optimize decision making in our new choice-packed world. The current study aims at identifying the drivers of minimalism and further prioritizing them. Lifestyle changes, modern aesthetics and reducing unessential’s have been emerged as most important drivers of minimalism. The finding of the study would help policymakers to frame strategies to encourage minimalism as a way of life This would further helps in reducing stress and anxiety, minimize excess consumption, global warming, thereby, preventing rapid resources depletion, environmental degradation, and minimize carbon footprint.
While the issue of behavioral change is of increasing interest to academics and practitioners, an understanding of its drivers remains limited. Consistent with the possibility that destabilizing events can trigger the implementation of beneficial changes in one's life, this research studies the COVID‐19 pandemic and its influence on the adoption of positive habits. More specifically, it focuses on positive health and lifestyle‐related behavioral changes observed within the confined population, as well as the antecedents of such changes. Two surveys conducted 1 month apart in an urban setting severely affected by the pandemic confirm the role of optimism toward the crisis as an antecedent to four changes: slowdown in pace of life, decluttering of personal space, reflection on consumption habits and adoption of healthy behaviors. Collective resilience, social support and anxiety are identified as determinants of optimism. Results suggest an evolution of certain relations including the increase of collective resilience effect on optimism over time.
Purpose
This study aims to identify the role of the voluntary simplicity lifestyle on the environmental activism behavioural trait, as well as the relationship of these two constructs on the sustainable fashion purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was taken with data collected through an online survey in Brazil, obtaining a valid sample of 364 respondents. The collected data were analysed through the structural equation modelling technique using SmartPLS-3.3.2.
Findings
The main findings of this study indicate that voluntary simplifiers exert a direct and positive influence on environmental activism. Also, consumers who embrace the values of voluntary simplicity and environmental activism are positively inclined to purchase sustainable fashion. In addition to sharing values converging to sustainability, consumers who have this profile can adopt sustainable fashion consumption as the mainstream of their purchasing decisions.
Practical implications
Simplifiers and activists represent a potential target audience to be observed by fashion companies that have focused on sustainability. Also, they can benefit from the findings in order to delineate the type of product to be offered as well as assist in the development of communication strategies.
Originality/value
This study is innovative by bringing constructs that are emerging in the field of consumption behaviour and sustainability. In addition, it contributes, at the same time, to advance research on the behavioural profile of individuals in favour of sustainability, by pointing out to voluntary simplicity and environmental activism as important antecedents of sustainable fashion consumption behaviour.
Unsustainable clothing consumption patterns, especially prevalent in the Global North, have come to the spotlight of media, policy-makers and the academic community in recent years. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the routine lives of citizens globally, which has impacted some consumers’ attitudes towards fashion and consumption practices. This study employs terror management theory and voluntary simplicity to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ attitudes towards clothing consumption across six different countries, from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. A structured qualitative study with closed, open-ended and multiple-choice questions was completed by a sample of consumers ( N = 3748) across these countries. Among all participants of this study one-third reported that the pandemic had affected their attitude towards clothing and this study was mainly conducted to investigate the nature of those attitude changes. Qualitative analysis identified patterns of change in consumers’ attitude towards clothing (e.g., minimalism, grateful mindset, conscious mindset, decreased fashion desire, longevity and style confidence), which reveal potential for a lasting shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns. The results of this study highlight valuable managerial implications: the industry needs to respond to this shift in consumers’ attitude and move towards more sustainable business models and processes. Sufficiency-oriented business offerings, in particular, are becoming more accepted in the fashion industry. Moreover, these results are relevant for predicting future consumption patterns, especially considering that pandemics may become a more regular part of life.
Purpose
The study approaches the social problem of overconsumption by examining how dispositional characteristics ( Trigunas ) affect self-control capacity and buying impulsiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 181 Indian students was conducted to collect data on Trigunas , self-control and impulse buying tendency (IBT). Partial least squares-based structure equation modeling package ADANCO was used for data analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that two out of the three gunas were related to impulsive buying tendency. As hypothesized, self-control mediated these relationships. The findings prove that Trigunas carry differential influence on self-control capacity and impulsive buying behavior of individuals.
Practical implications
The results of this study offer new insights and ideas to practitioners and researchers pursuing the problem of overconsumption. This study delves into ancient Hindu knowledge of mindfulness and offers fresh psychological constructs that broaden scholarly understanding on personality-related drivers of overconsumption.
Originality/value
Most research on overconsumption and related issues has been conducted using western personality models. Additionally, many of these findings are inconsistent. This article broadens this discussion by applying indigenous Indian psychology constructs to the study of consumer behavior and provides empirical support for the same.
This paper examines the core ideas of minimalism as communicated in key writings of a selection of American bloggers and authors who have served as pacesetters for numerous people in several countries. The study examines minimalism based on narrative analysis, drawing on Hartmut Rosa’s critical theory of social acceleration and the concept of constructive resistance. The message the authors convey centres on a lifestyle change that was instigated by the discontent they felt in their previous lives, and they commend minimalism as a means to freedom and autonomy. Although critical of contemporary temporal norms and consumption culture, minimalism is primarily an individual approach to dealing with situations of discontent. This can be understood as a consequence of a more general individualization of society, but it could also be understood in relation to the unclear centre of power in the case of social acceleration. Minimalists can be seen as performing constructive resistance through individual acts without calling for organization or collective mobilization of any kind, and without being particularly challenging or threatening to the system.
Minimalism is an increasingly popular low-consumption lifestyle whereby people deliberately live with fewer possessions. Proponents of minimalism claim the lifestyle offers a myriad of wellbeing benefits, including happiness, life satisfaction, meaning, and improved personal relationships, however, to date there has been no scientific study examining these claims. The current study aims to take a step towards rectifying this, by exploring the experiences of people living a minimalistic lifestyle. Ten people who identify as minimalists participated in semi-structured interviews to discuss their experience of minimalism and wellbeing. The data was collected and analysed using grounded theory methods. All participants reported that minimalism provided various wellbeing benefits. Five key themes were identified in the study: autonomy, competence, mental space, awareness, and positive emotions. Findings align with previous research examining voluntary simplicity, pro-ecological behaviours, and materialism, and offer new insights into the benefits of low-consumption lifestyles. The results have multidisciplinary implications, from positive psychology to education, business, marketing, economics, conservation and sustainability, with the potential to impact future research, policy, and practice.
With the burgeoning of consumer culture and materialism on a global scale, a counter‐culture movement, namely, voluntary simplicity, is slowly gaining currency. Extant research reveals a degree of disparateness in the relationship between materialism and voluntary simplicity. Drawing on the value‐basis theory and anti‐consumption research, the current study attempts at an unorthodox study of the fledgling culture of anti‐consumption in urban India. The paper empirically examines the relationship between materialism and voluntary simplicity in India. This research, through an experimental study followed by a sample survey, conducted among urban Indian consumers, examines how satisfaction with life, self‐efficacy, and individualism interact with materialistic values to eventually influence voluntary simplicity attitudes. In Study 1 (N = 74 working professionals), we experimentally triggered materialistic aspirations and evaluated their effects on voluntary simplicity in comparison to a control condition. In Study 2 (N = 315), individuals self‐rated their materialistic values, satisfaction with life, self‐efficacy, cultural orientation, and voluntary simplicity attitude. Our study, contrary to the suggestions in the existing literature, demonstrates that materialists espouse voluntary simplicity attitudes when environmental degradation around them directly impacts their health, wealth, and well‐being. In addition to the positive direct effect, satisfaction with life and self‐efficacy serially mediate the relationship between materialism and voluntary simplicity, providing a welcome divergence from dark‐sided conceptualizations of materialism. Our results help global marketers, and public policymakers better understand the interaction between materialistic values and sustainable consumption attitudes, in the developing country perspective.
Many scholars agree overconsumption is a serious ethical problem because of its adverse effects on the environment. This multimethod article uses two studies to explore the ethical underpinnings of two related consumer expressions of anticonsumption: nonmaterialism, which refers to not placing importance on material goods, and voluntary simplicity, which refers to reducing consumption behavior. Study 1 employs Structural Equation Models of secondary U.S. data and finds that nonmaterialism and voluntary simplicity have unique ethical underpinnings: Nonmaterialism is positively associated with an ethical ideology focused on universal rules and principles while voluntary simplicity is associated with an ethical ideology focused on the consequences of one's actions. Because engagement in voluntary simplicity can reduce overconsumption, Study 2 identifies which specific other‐oriented environmental concerns increase voluntary simplicity and for whom. An online experiment indicates that concerns about contributing to landfill waste and depleting natural resources induce voluntary simplicity for those who base their decisions on consequentialist ethical ideologies and concerns about contributing to climate change increases voluntary simplicity across consumers. These findings contribute to the discussion on anticonsumption by delineating key anticonsumption constructs, identifying messages to effectively reduce consumption behavior, and identifying consumers who are most likely to respond to such appeals.
Goal contents theory (Kasser & Ryan, 1993, 1996, 2001; Ryan & Deci, 2017) holds that intrinsic life goals (personal growth, relationships, community giving, and health) and extrinsic life goals (wealth, fame, and image) differentially relate to psychological well-being. Intrinsic life goals, or aspirations, inherently satisfy basic psychological needs and therefore promote optimal functioning, while an emphasis on extrinsic aspirations represents a reliance on external contingencies which, at best, only indirectly satisfies basic psychological needs. Despite abundant evidence supporting goal contents theory, positive links between extrinsic aspiring and well-being, observed particularly in Eastern European countries, have led some authors to contend that extrinsic aspirations may not be damaging in all contexts (Frost & Frost, 2000; Rijavec, Brdar, & Miljković, 2011). In addition, the frequently observed positive correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations suggests that they are not universally divergent. Indeed, consistent unexplained heterogeneity in the results indicates there are unobserved sources of heterogeneity in the data, suggesting there may be subgroups with distinct patterns of aspiring.
In Chapter 2 of this thesis, a meta-analysis of more than 1’000 effect sizes showed support for the universality of goal contents theory across countries, age groups, and socioeconomic statuses. In Chapters 3, 4, and 5, bifactor structural equation modelling (B-ESEM) was combined with latent profile analysis (LPA) in three large, independent samples from Hungary, Australia, and the United States of America, and derived three replicable profiles of aspiring. Chapters 4 and 5 showed that profile membership predicted additional variance in well-being, even in highly conservative tests that control for the aspirations that comprise the profiles. The profiles also differed in the breadth of their care for others. From Profile 1 to Profile 3, increasingly more (and more distal) others are central in the configurations of aspiring, starting with the self (Profile 1), then close others (Profile 2), and then the world in general (Profile 3). These studies make a unique contribution to the literature by synthesizing the available evidence and by identifying replicable latent profiles of aspiring that account for variance in well-being and other-oriented-ness over and above the constituent variables.
Empirical evidence indicates that practices linked to reducing the environmental impact of travelling, heating, cooling and food consumption are compatible with high levels of wellbeing. More and more people are shopping on-line, which increases the efficiency of consumption, expands choice and information – while also intensifying exposure to consumerism and materialistic messages. This article explores the relationship between sustainable consumption and wellbeing and the role of on-line shopping in moderating the relationship, analysing survey data from a representative sample of the Norwegian population in 2017. Wellbeing is addressed in its hedonic (happiness), cognitive (satisfaction)and eudaimonic dimensions (subjective vitality). Sustainable consumption practices are investigated through a variable that captures the extent to which respondents choose sustainable alternatives as regards travel, household energy use and food. Results based on regression analysis of cross-sectional data indicate that sustainable consumption is positively associated with happiness and life satisfaction in Norway, but that the relationship weakens when psychological and lifestyle factors are taken into account. Subjective vitality maintains its strong association with sustainable consumption. Two alternative explanations are proposed: that those who feel energetic engage more in sustainable practices; and that the effort and socialization inherent in sharing, reusing and reducing promote the conditions for increased psychological health and vitality. The study also shows that internet shopping does not weaken the strength of the relationship, and might even increase life satisfaction by lowering the costs of engaging in sustainable consumption practices.
The post-2008 financial crisis era has seen an upsurge in popular cultural narratives that implicitly challenge principles of economic productivity, consumption and growth by lamenting a so-called ‘world of too much,’ advocating ethics of minimalism, and renouncing everyday busyness. Narratives range from lifestyle advice on simplicity and de-cluttering private homes, to quests for the reduction of individual labor, communication, social contacts and distraction. This article questions these narratives in terms of eco-politics. Using Kate Soper’s concept of ‘alternative hedonism,’ the article analyzes a selection of five self-help books and one blog that promote lifestyle minimalism in order to interrogate their potential in stimulating de-growth eco-politics through popular culture. Drawing on post-ecological theory, it argues that narratives of lifestyle minimalism are paradoxical in that they resist yet at the same time promote capitalist cultures of growth. To overcome this limitation, it is crucial to understand and transform the narrative premises of lifestyle minimalism in ways that contextualize problems of ‘excess,’ ‘clutter’ and ‘a world of too much’ as intrinsic to the current system of capital accumulation. The article concludes by reflecting on the potential of an eco-movement that joins the alternative culture of minimalist hedonism with the eco-political agenda of de-growth.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers’ motives in signing up for a week-long voluntary simplicity experiment, No Impact Week (NIW), and reducing their consumption during and afterwards.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical data come from informants who filled out a pre-week email inquiry, completed a daily diary template centred on eight themes, responded to a post-week email inquiry and answered follow-up questions one month after completion.
Findings
Those who participate in NIW were motivated by personal factors, such as curiosity and desire to be more aware, to learn tips for eco-living applicable to daily life and to challenge themselves. People who chose not to participate did so largely because they did not understand what would be required of them. Participants incorporated the experiment into their lives, but the outcomes remained dependent on existing structures, in this case environmental and personal factors. The findings indicate the existence of a value–action gap and an awareness–behaviour gap.
Research limitations/implications
While a mismatch between consumers’ consumption values and behaviour is not uncommon, enabling behaviour in line with values is crucial for reducing consumption. Although voluntary simplicity is a drastic form of consumption reduction that appeals only to a small but growing niche of people, the motives for and consequences of engaging in it highlight pressing issues of consumer behaviour and consumption.
Originality/value
The study is unique in that it links voluntary simplicity to a social marketing campaign that should appeal to those with a favourable attitude towards taking action and reducing their consumption.
In this paper, we focus on consumption practices reflected on blogs of Polish minimalists. We analyzed 16 top blogs of the minimalists present in the Polish blogosphere. The objective of the minimalists is to consume less and live simple life without the excess of material objects. We studied the instructions of everyday conduct which the minimalists give on their blogs, as well as the meanings they assign to their practices: their personal stories of becoming a minimalist and statements of their values. The authors belong to one generation-their childhood took place in the times of the shortage economy in the 1980s. This influenced the whole trajectory of their lives and their consumer choices. To interpret their practices we use the categories of rationalization of Max Weber and modern hedonism of Colin Campbell. It appears that minimalists strive for reaching certain emotional states, e.g. peace and well-being they imagine, in line with the theory of modern hedonism. A path to those emotional states consists of rationalization of all the temporary, impulse-based pleasures and control over emotions involved in consumption.
Although there has been considerable theoretical support outlining a positive relationship between religiosity and voluntary simplicity, there is limited empirical evidence validating this relationship. This study examines the relationships among religious orientations (Allport and Ross in J Pers Soc Psychol 5(4):432–443, 1967) and voluntary simplicity in a sample of Australian consumers. The results demonstrate that intrinsic religiosity is positively related to voluntary simplicity; however, there is no relationship between extrinsic religiosity and voluntary simplicity. Furthermore, this research investigates the processes through which intrinsic religiosity affects voluntary simplicity. The relationship between intrinsic religiosity and voluntary simplicity is sequentially mediated by communal/personal well-being and environmental well-being. The findings not only identify a prosocial role of intrinsic religiosity in motivating voluntary simplicity, but also indicate that secular pursuits that enhance communal/personal well-being and environmental well-being may also motivate voluntary simplicity.
The authors propose that mindfulness is an antidote to mindless consumption, which adversely affects individual and collective well-being. The concept of mindfulness is explained and applied to the consumption context. More specifically, the authors examine mindful consumption as an ongoing practice of bringing attention, with acceptance, to inner and outer stimuli, and the effects of this practice on the consumption process. The transformative potential of mindful consumption is reviewed across domains of consumer, societal, and environmental well-being, with suggestions for future research. The article highlights some of the challenges to realizing the transformative potential of mindful consumption and concludes with suggestions for the actions that consumers, institutions, and policy makers could take to promote mindful consumption.
Planning Review initiates with this article on voluntary simplicity a series prepared by Stanford Research Institute's research staff. The articles will address emerging trends in economics, technology, and society that need to be considered by practicing planners. The new series will be coordinated by Riggs Monfort, Director of Program Development for SRI's Business Intelligence Program, and a Contributing Editor for Planning Review.
This article examines and extends the notion of voluntary simplifiers (VS). VS are individuals who have freely chosen a frugal, anticonsumer lifestyle that features low resource use and environmental impact. The article will begin by reviewing empirical work with VS and their mainstream counterparts, non-voluntary simplifiers (NVS). It will go on to identify and locate within this literature an intermediate group: beginner voluntary simplifiers (BVS). BVS may support some aspects of sustainability (such as buying fair-trade coffee or recycling domestic waste) without either embracing a complete lifestyle change like VS, or completely dismissing ethical or environ-mental features of products and services they consume, like NVS. Insight into the complex decision-making processes of BVS is crucial for the understanding of the concept of voluntary simplification and is therefore important for the advancement of sustainable consumption. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The practice of voluntary simplicity is inextricably linked to consumer behavior and has attracted the attention of researchers in a number of disciplines, including psychology and marketing. Yet the daily practice of voluntary simplicity in the United States remains largely unexamined. The research presented here is the first to look at voluntary simplicity with the use of a nationwide sample of American consumers. A more refined application of Maslow's theory of human motivation to the understanding of this social phenomenon is proposed. The practices considered most important to this lifestyle are identified, as are key impediments to its consistent practice. Factor analysis is used to identify the underlying dimensions of U.S. voluntary simplicity: ecological and social responsibility; community; and maintaining a spiritual life. Findings indicate that people of moderate income are more likely to practice voluntary simplicity than was previously believed. This research also compares highly committed simplifiers to those who are less committed, finding that more committed practitioners are more likely to be consistent in practices requiring ongoing effort, such as composting. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This article proposes that the increasing number of individuals voluntarily reducing their levels of consumption may be motivated by underlying social–psychological stress related to living in a consumer society. Of the three primary motivational bases of the self (esteem, efficacy, and authenticity), it is argued that only self-esteem and self-efficacy can be acquired through consumption. The current growth of the voluntary simplicity movement, it is argued, is among those individuals who have met the need for esteem and efficacy through consumption, but have failed to achieve a sense of authenticity. Evidence from interviews with participants in the voluntary simplicity movement is presented in support of this proposition. Anticonsumption attitudes, it is concluded, result from a process of self-inquiry triggered by the failure to feel authentic through one's consumption activities. Implications of anticonsumption attitudes in reaction to consumer culture are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The increased levels of consumption that have accompanied our consumer-oriented culture have also given rise to some consumers questioning their individual consumption choices, with many opting for greater consumption simplicity. This link between consideration of actual consumption levels and consumer choices is evident among a group of consumers known as ethical consumers. Ethical consumers consider a range of ethical issues in their consumer behavioral choices. Particularly prevalent is voluntary simplification due to concerns for the extent and nature of consumption. Through the presentation of findings from two qualitative studies exploring known ethical consumers, the relationship of consumer attitudes to consumption levels, and how these attitudes impact approaches to consumer behavior, are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
In this paper we explore material simplicity, defined as the virtue disposing us to act appropriately within the sphere of
our consumer decisions. Simplicity is a conscientious and restrained attitude toward material goods that typically includes
(1) decreased consumption and (2) a more conscious consumption; hence (3) greater deliberation regarding our consumer decisions;
(4) a more focused life in general; and (5) a greater and more nuanced appreciation for other things besides material goods,
and also for (6) material goods themselves. It is to be distinguished from simple-mindedness, a return to nature, or poverty.
Simplicity overlaps with traditional virtues such as temperance, frugality, and wisdom, and sustains and enables traditional
virtues such as justice and generosity. Simplicity is a virtue because it furthers human flourishing, both individual and
social, and sustains nature’s ecological flourishing. For analytic purposes, we consider six areas in which simplicity can
make important contributions: (1) basic individual flourishing, (2) basic societal flourishing, (3) individual freedom or
autonomy, (4) the acquisition of knowledge, (5) living meaningfully, and (6) preserving and protecting nonhuman beings. The
proven failure of materialism to secure subjective happiness or objective flourishing argues for the practice of voluntary
simplicity and for the radical reform of modern consumer societies.
How effectively business deals with the challenges of sustainability will define its success for decades to come. Current
sustainability strategies have three major deficiencies: they do not directly focus on the customer, they do not recognize
the looming threats from rising global over-consumption, and they do not take a holistic approach. We present a framework
for a customer-centric approach to sustainability. This approach recasts the sustainability metric to emphasize the outcomes
of business actions measured holistically in term of environmental, personal and economic well-being of the consumer. We introduce
the concept of mindful consumption (MC) as the guiding principle in this approach. MC is premised on a consumer mindset of
caring for self, for community, and for nature, that translates behaviorally into tempering the self-defeating excesses associated
with acquisitive, repetitive and aspirational consumption. We also make the business case for fostering mindful consumption,
and illustrate how the marketing function can be harnessed to successfully implement the customer-centric approach to sustainability.
KeywordsSustainability–Customer-centric sustainability–Mindful consumption
Measures of well-being were created to assess psychological flourishing and feelings—positive feelings, negative feelings,
and the difference between the two. The scales were evaluated in a sample of 689 college students from six locations. The
Flourishing Scale is a brief 8-item summary measure of the respondent’s self-perceived success in important areas such as
relationships, self-esteem, purpose, and optimism. The scale provides a single psychological well-being score. The measure
has good psychometric properties, and is strongly associated with other psychological well-being scales. The Scale of Positive
and Negative Experience produces a score for positive feelings (6 items), a score for negative feelings (6 items), and the
two can be combined to create a balance score. This 12-item brief scale has a number of desirable features compared to earlier
measures of positive and negative emotions. In particular, the scale assesses with a few items a broad range of negative and
positive experiences and feelings, not just those of a certain type, and is based on the amount of time the feelings were
experienced during the past 4weeks. The scale converges well with measures of emotions and affective well-being.
KeywordsSubjective well-being-Well-being-Measure-Positive affect-Negative affect-Scales (or Assessment)
Although shopping behavior among adolescents is normal, for some, the shopping becomes problematic. An assessment of adolescent shopping behavior along a continuum of severity and its relationship to other behaviors and health issues is incompletely understood.
A large sample of high school students (n = 3999) was examined using a self-report survey with 153 questions concerning demographic characteristics, shopping behaviors, other health behaviors including substance use, and functioning variables such as grades and violent behavior.
The overall prevalence of problem shopping was 3.5% (95% CI, 2.93-4.07). Regular smoking, marijuana and other drug use, sadness and hopelessness, and antisocial behaviors (e.g., fighting, carrying weapons) were associated with problem shopping behavior in both boys and girls. Heavy alcohol use was significantly associated with problem shopping only in girls.
Problem shopping appears fairly common among high school students and is associated with symptoms of depression and a range of potentially addictive and antisocial behaviors. Significant distress and diminished behavioral control suggest that excessive shopping may often have significant associated morbidity. Additional research is needed to develop specific prevention and treatment strategies for adolescents who report problems with shopping.
This paper presents a behavioral index for measuring an individual's tendency towards a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity, characterized by ecological awareness, attempts to become more self-sufficient, and efforts to decrease personal consumption of goods. The index is shown to predict energy conservation and intention to purchase solar equipment.
In developed regions worldwide, so-called anti-consumers are increasingly resisting high-level consumption lifestyles or shifting to alternative forms of consumption. A general reduction in consumption levels is considered necessary to attain global sustainability goals. However, knowledge regarding the factors driving people to deliberately consume less and how anti-consumption affects individuals' well-being is limited. Against this background, this study considers the influence of human values and the well-being effects of two types of anti-consumption: voluntary simplicity and collaborative consumption. Based on representative data from the US (N = 1075) and Germany (N = 1070), the findings show that the two anti-consumption types do not reduce the well-being of individuals' but in some cases, even improve it, which suggests that lowering consumption can not only help protect environmental resources but also serve the greater good of society. In particular, this relationship holds among collaborative consumers with a strong need for cognition, i.e., a cognitive thinking style that involves a high level of decision control. According to the study results, opposite value orientations are the drivers of voluntary simplicity and collaborative consumption (i.e., a focus on self-transcendence versus self-enhancement). These findings are comparable in both countries; however, the strength of the effects differs.
Researchers have increasingly called for the examination of both mental health symptoms and well-being when providing and evaluating psychotherapy, and although symptoms and well-being are typically inversely related, these appear to be distinct constructs that may require distinct intervention strategies. Positive psychology interventions, virtue-based treatments, and psychotherapies explicitly focused on promoting well-being have emerged in response to, or perhaps in concert with, the calls for attention to symptoms and well-being. Our review of the relevant and vast research pockets revealed that these treatments demonstrated relative efficacy in promoting well-being, whereas evidence for relative efficacy when reducing symptoms was largely inconclusive, particularly in psychotherapy contexts. We organized our review around the virtue-ethics notion that growth in virtuousness fosters flourishing, with flourishing consisting of more than the absence of symptoms, and specifically, that flourishing also involves increased well-being. The lack of evidence for relative efficacy among active alternative treatment conditions in promoting flourishing may suggest equal effectiveness, and yet, this also suggests that there are yet-to-be-identified moderators and mechanisms of change and/or insufficient use of research designs and/or statistical procedures that could more clearly test this major tenet of the virtue-ethics tradition. Nevertheless, we know that evidence-based problem-focused psychotherapies are effective at reducing symptoms, and our review showed that positive psychology interventions, virtue-based treatments, and psychotherapies explicitly focused on well-being promote well-being and/or virtue development. We encourage researchers and psychotherapists to continue to integrate symptom reduction and well-being promotion into psychotherapy approaches aimed at fostering client flourishing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine young consumers’ financial behavior (e.g. saving) and pro-environmental behavior (i.e. reduced consumption and green buying) as effective proactive strategies undertaken in the present to satisfy materialistic values and maximize well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on an online survey among a panel of young American adults ( N = 968).
Findings
The study finds a positive effect of materialism on personal well-being and negative effects on financial satisfaction, proactive financial coping and reduced consumption, but no effect on green buying, a separate and distinct pro-environmental strategy. Both proactive financial coping and reduced consumption are positively associated with subjective well-being.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should re-examine conceptualizations of materialism in the context of climate change and the meaning of possessions in the global digital economy; studies could also focus on the specific well-being effects of reduced consumption and alternative pathways to align materialistic and environmental values.
Practical implications
Consumer education should look to models of financial education to demonstrate how limited natural resources can be managed at the micro level to enhance consumers’ subjective well-being, as well as reduce resource strain at the macro level.
Originality/value
Key contributions are the examination of materialism and consumption in the dual contexts of financial and environmental resource constraints and the effects of these key macro-social phenomena on consumers’ perceived well-being. Another study highlight is the differentiation of two strategies for proactive environmental coping, of which only one, reduced consumption, increased personal well-being and decreased psychological distress.
Purpose
This study describes anti-consumption lifestyles and the effects of such lifestyles on the acceptance of commercial sharing systems (CSS). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the different types of anti-consumption lifestyles and their influence on consumer’s attitudes and purchase intentions toward CSS, and to verify the moderating effect of the variety-seeking tendency.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling is used with data collected from 537 consumers. The chosen types of CSS are the corporations of Socar (a car sharing service in Korea) and Airbnb (a global accommodation sharing service).
Findings
The results indicate that the anti-consumption lifestyles consist of frugality, voluntary simplicity, environmental protection, small luxury and tightwadism; anti-consumption lifestyles affect the acceptance of CSS; and the effects differed according to the variety-seeking tendency. These results suggest that anti-consumption lifestyles differently influence consumer’s behaviors toward using CSS, and there is a moderating effect partially depending upon the variety-seeking tendency.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is that it verifies the different types of anti-consumption lifestyles and their effects on consumer’s attitudes and purchase intentions toward CSS, which is an area that has remained unexamined in the literature. Marketers will be able to use the knowledge obtained herein on the various types of anti-consumption lifestyles to motivate consumers to use sharing services, and will also be able to establish a consumer strategy in sharing business practice.
Stagflation, a significant economic, social, and political phenomenon since the Depression, is changing consumers and creating a voluntary simplifier consumer segment. This paper outlines the impact of stagflation and focuses on the simplifier segment and its implications for marketing.
In contemporary culture, it is natural to think that purchasing and owning the “right” possessions results in happiness. This belief supports our loyalty to consumer society. However, several lines of research demonstrate that high consumption lifestyles and materialistic values are not even a trustworthy path to well-being. Instead, materially simpler lifestyles such as minimalism, with a focus on intrinsic values, have been suggested as contributing to happiness and fulfilment. Thus, the present paper exemplifies how individuals adopt minimalism. I propose Dialogical Self Theory (DST) to explain the decision-making processes in the transition from a materialist to a minimalist lifestyle since DST provides a useful framework to explore multiplicity in an individual’s self-concept by recognising the self as moving between multiple and relatively autonomous I-positions. Thus, DST can be used to understand how internal inconsistencies, for example between a materialistic and a minimalistic I, are resolved. My elaborations suggest that the dialogical relations of different I-positions serve as a form of self-guidance leading the self to transform into a minimalist. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
The statistical tests used in the analysis of structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error are examined. A drawback of the commonly applied chi square test, in addition to the known problems related to sample size and power, is that it may indicate an increasing correspondence between the hypothesized model and the observed data as both the measurement properties and the relationship between constructs decline. Further, and contrary to common assertion, the risk of making a Type II error can be substantial even when the sample size is large. Moreover, the present testing methods are unable to assess a model's explanatory power. To overcome these problems, the authors develop and apply a testing system based on measures of shared variance within the structural model, measurement model, and overall model.
This article explores the strengths approach in therapeutic recreation practice, as articulated through the Flourishing through Leisure Model: An Ecological Extension of the Leisure and Well-Being Model (Anderson & Heyne, 2012a, 2012b), and examines the Upward Spiral Theory of Lifestyle Change (Fredrickson, 2015) as an explanatory framework for why and how leisure can drive sustained positive lifestyle change. Overviews are provided of the strengths approach and the Flourishing through Leisure Model, emphasizing the central role leisure plays in strengths-based therapeutic recreation practice. The broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2013b) is explained as it is the basis for the Upward Spiral Theory of Lifestyle Change. The Upward Spiral theory is described in detail in the contexts of the neuroscience of enjoyment, passion (obsessive and harmonious), and prioritizing positivity. Practical applications of the Upward Spiral Theory of Lifestyle Change to strengths-based therapeutic recreation practice are drawn, as well as recommendations for future research.
Environmental deterioration caused by consumers' non-sustainable consumption pattern is putting a strain on the environment and is hindering sustainable development. In order to impede this effect and promote a more sustainable economy, one solution is to reduce or shift consumption from conventional products to green products. The unfortunate reality indicates that inadequate information on how to promote consumers' green behavioral intention is slowing the growth of green markets; such inadequacy appears as a prevailing obstacle facing firms while developing segments and communicating strategies for effectively promoting green products. The mentioned impact is more prevailing and most experienced in countries like Malaysia. Hence, consumers' behavioral intentions must be better understood in order to strengthen knowledge about fostering green purchases. This study aims to determine the motivational factors that influence green purchasing intention and simultaneously assess the moderator roles of the premium price and demographic characteristics – given that consumers' degree of greenness varies. A survey was administered and a total of 405 usable questionnaires were obtained. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that environmental attitude, eco-label and cultural value (man–nature orientation) significantly influence the green purchase intention. The result also indicates that the premium price has no moderating effect, denying its role as one of the main barriers for consumers to walk their talk as it has previously been reported by studies and opinion polls. In addition, the findings revealed that education level and gender have a significant positive moderation effect. This suggests that green purchase intentions' motivational factors are greater among highly educated individuals especially with female consumers in particular. This study contributes to the understanding of the main factors that motivate consumers' intention to purchase green products in Malaysia. It also offers insights and discusses implementations for manufacturers, marketers and policy makers concerned with the drivers that motivate consumers' green purchasing intentions which require different marketing plan and strategy than conventional products.
This article introduces the concept of sustainability-rooted anticonsumption (SRAC), which refers to consumers' anticonsumption practices of voluntary simplicity in living and, on a smaller level, collaborative consumption and boycotting with the goal of supporting sustainable economic development. The SRAC measurement approach is validated based on three empirical studies. Results of a representative German sample (Study 2) reveal that SRAC is predominantly negatively linked to consumer overconsumption dispositions. Exemplary, voluntary simplification and boycott intention may result in declining levels of indebtedness. Study 3 shows that psychosocial well-being is positively related to SRAC and overconsumption. However, a simplified lifestyle and a greater willingness to boycott are not necessarily associated with psychosocial well-being. This article provides insights for practitioners and policymakers to leverage existing SRAC values via “new” business models (sharing offers) or to influence the existing level of consciousness to effectively pave the way for solid progress in the sustainability movement.
This paper describes the relation between values and behavior of a new life style, that of voluntary simplicity which is characterized by low consumption, self-sufficiency, and ecological responsibility. Also, specific hypotheses regarding the motivation for voluntary simplicity and adoption in two areas of the United States were tested. Analysis shows values of voluntary simplicity and behaviors are consistent, the motivation for voluntary simplicity includes personal preference and economic hardship, and adoption of voluntary simplicity is different in the Denver and New York City metropolitan areas.
The idea that the over-arching goal of capitalist economies needs to be changed, and that achieving ever-higher levels of consumption of products and services is a vacuous goal, has followed a familiar tri-stage evolution—several times over. Radical rejections of the consumeristic goal have been followed by rejections of the rejections and new bouts of consumerism, leading to some kind of combination of an affirmation of the merits of a high level of consumption with a rededication to other purposes. This idea itself has been with us from the onset of industrialization. It often has taken the form of comparing the attractive life of the poorer pre-industrial artisan to that of the drudgeries of the more endowed industrial assembly-line worker.
Consumers are taking active steps to rebel against the marketplace, yet, marketers are not acknowledging this rebellion as a powerful social movement. This paper provides data from a two year study of people who chose to define themselves in opposition to the dominant consumer culture, which they felt promoted waste and environmental degradation. Instead, the participants of this study created new selves that reflected their determination not to be labeled consumers and crafted new relationships in opposition to the marketplace that reflected their skepticism with marketing practices.
Data from a questionnaire were collected from 189 Japanese female undergraduates at a women's university. They were 18, 19, or 20 years of age. The measures included a 22-item 7-point voluntary simplicity lifestyle scale, a 9-item 5-point scale of the evaluation of a voluntarily simple life, an 11-item 4-point scale of environmentally responsible consumerism and a 28-item 5-point scale of a nonsimplicity lifestyle. Factor analysis was conducted for each scale and Cronbach's αcoefficients were calculated for selected items associated with each scale. Both the evaluation of a voluntarily simple life and environmentally responsible consumerism were positively associated with a voluntary simplicity lifestyle and its three factors, that is, cautious attitudes in shopping, acceptance of self-sufficiency and a desire for a voluntarily simple life. A voluntary simplicity lifestyle was significantly associated with more than half of the nonsimplicity lifestyle statements.
A study was conducted to investigate correlations between voluntary simplicity lifestyles (VSLs.) and perceptual or behavioral characteristics regarding VSLs.. Questionnaires each of which contained a 20-item 5-point scale of VSLs., a 13-item 4-point scale of the frequency of proenvironmental behaviors, and 23 5-point scales of various perceptual or behavioral characteristics regarding VSLs were administered to 250 female adults. The scale of VSLs yielded four variables. Product-moment correlation coefficients were calculated 1) between these four variables and variables of the frequency of proenvironmental behaviors and 2) between the four variables and perceptual or behavioral characteristics associated with VSLs. Many correlations were significant, and were in assumed directions.
Questionnaires containing 20 statements of voluntary simplicity lifestyles and 23 statements of selected attitudes and behavior related to these lifestyles were administered to 135 undergraduates. The subjects were required to rate the degree of agreement or disagreement with the statement on 5-point scales. Three unrotated factors were obtained by factor analysis. According to second-order factor analysis, voluntary simplicity lifestyles, cautious attitudes in shopping and acceptance of self-sufficiency had significant loadings on the first factor. Significant correlations between these dimensions and the selected attitudes and behavior substantially supported the validity of the scale of voluntary simplicity lifestyles.
Extant consumer research literature focuses on the subtleties, multiplicity of meanings, and values consumers attach to acquisition of personal possessions. Researchers have devoted less attention to consumers' disposition behaviors, including factors that influence disposition decisions. This paper explores voluntary disposition using data gathered through participant observations and in-depth interviews with a range of consumers, including those involved in clothing exchange (CE) events. The findings provide support for the a priori themes of values and consumption patterns, extending the life of self and goods, and consumers' self-concept. Additionally, the findings yield emergent themes of role transitions, role models and family patterns, and shared community. Utilizing our findings, and extant literature, we propose a conceptual Framework of Voluntary Disposition that can be utilized to analyze further meanings of consumer disposition patterns in different contexts.
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Voluntary simplicity is often considered to be a sustainable lifestyle phenomenon buttressed by environment-friendly consumption practices. Voluntary simplicity is shaped by the individual as well as the society, and marketplace interactions often impact voluntarily simplified approaches to consumption. Pertinent, therefore, is a consideration of how voluntary simplifiers negotiate the tensions between marketplace interactions and decisions (not) to consume, as the exploration of interactions between consumption and non-consumption choices has relevant implications for the advancement of sustainable consumption. Specifically, we seek to answer the following question: how have voluntary simplifiers in a rural context negotiated the relationship between voluntary simplicity and market-based (non-) consumption? This paper reports on a study of 28 rural voluntary simplifiers to explore the intersections between voluntary simplicity and rural markets. Findings highlight the convoluted nature and the multiple manifestations of voluntary simplicity, while the rural context allows an exploration of such tensions in relation to individual voluntary simplicity, local economy, supermarkets, fair trade and consumer culture.