Last week, while I was scrolling on Instagram, a sudden need for a new pair of trousers appeared in my mind. Despite already having more than five of them, it was not satisfactory. Am I not the only one who frequently feels the need to buy new clothes, shoes, notebooks, cups, dog toys, etc.? Should I question my actions, as they may be far from sustainable or rational?
Source: https://www.tpoftampa.com/understanding-shopping-addiction/
Every student of Social Sciences is already aware of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This theory comprises a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid: physiological needs (food and clothing), safety needs (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem needs, and self-actualization.
Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
It is obvious, people need more products than ten years ago and consume increasing number of goods. Would Maslow agree these are human needs? We are purchasing clothes from brands that employ child labor in their factories which are polluting soil and water. This behaviours are supported by advertisements that we are exposed 10.000 of them daily(thanks adblocker). However, we are represent ourselves prioritize sustainability and eco-friendly action. This phenomenal inconsistency is called the Value-Action Gap, which involves people behaving in a way that contradicts their beliefs.
The Value-Action Gap can arise due to various reasons:
Motivational complexity, such as having two conflicting values that support different actions;
Social dilemmas, such as the belief that a value judgment unsupported by many should not be supported;
Doubt about the effectiveness level of acting in accordance with values. For example, people do not believe that recycling a product will actually lead to recycling, etc.
We can consider this phenomenon as a problem or inconsistency, and as we know, problems can have reasonable solutions. Reducing this inconsistency in oneself or others involves finding the root cause and recognizing the problem. For example, if someone shows the Value-Action Gap because they failed to notice an opportunity to act in line with their values, we can help solve the problem by clearly presenting such opportunities to the person with the help of the given ways:
Remind people of their values before important decisions. For example, if you remind someone of their environmentally positive behavior before they buy a car, you can help them consider an eco-friendly option. You can help individuals create and implement plans that align with their values, motivating them to act accordingly. The more challenging it is to engage in actions contrary to a particular value, the more likely individuals will act in alignment with their values. For instance, by providing a negative reaction when someone considers acting against a value, you increase the chances of them engaging in value-consistent actions. And the most important one is that you can help by showing your own correct actions. The easier it is to act in accordance with values, the more likely those actions will be preferred by others too. For example, to avoid consuming carbonated beverages, you can bring a water bottle with you when going to work.
The suggested solutions for reducing the Value-Action Gap often rely on “nudges”. Nudges are interventions that predictably alter people’s behavior without forbidding options or significantly changing incentives.
P.S. I didn’t buy those trousers.
Reference:
McLeod, Saul (December 29, 2021) [2007]. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”. SimplyPsychology. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
Lataster, J., Reijnders, J., Janssens, M. et al. Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Well-Being Across Age: A Cross-Sectional General Population Study among 1709 Dutch Speaking Adults. J Happiness Stud 23, 2259–2290 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00482-2
How Many Ads Do We See A Day In 2023? ,February 15th, 2021, Sam Carr, https://lunio.ai/blog/strategy/how-many-ads-do-we-see-a-day/
Supporting policy with scientific evidence, Growing consumption | Knowledge for policy. https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/growing-consumerism_en
E. Renz, et al. (2020). Using Behavioral Economics To Reduce The Value-Action Gap. Ökologisches Wirtschaften – Fachzeitschrift, sf: 45-50. doi: 10.14512/OEW350445. | https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://oekologisches-wirtschaften.de/index.php/oew/article/view/1780
M. Boström, et al. (2017). Can We Rely On ‘Climate-Friendly’ Consumption?. Journal of Consumer Culture, sf: 359-378. doi: 10.1177/1469540517717782.
Behavioral Development Economics 