Consumer decision-making plays a crucial role in addressing today's sustainability challenges. Products can vary widely in their sustainability with attributes that serve ecological or social dimensions. These product attributes can be perceived and valued differently by consumers, influencing their decision-making. This project aims to understand, from a psychological perspective, how the dimensions of sustainability impact consumer choices. To investigate this, conjoint studies were conducted in the areas of fashion and food, involving n=380 and n=400 consumers, respectively. In these two separate studies, participants chose either between t-shirts or eggs which varied in their social and ecological sustainability-related attributes. For the t-shirts, participants had to decide between three products that differed in water and CO₂ consumption, as well as wage levels and maximum working hours per day in the manufacturing country. For the eggs, the distinguishing attributes included the type of housing system, the handling of male chicks, CO₂ emissions, and regionality. The results reveal that consumers do not prioritize any single sustainability dimension above the other; rather, they place greater importance on sustainable attributes that are tangible, comparable, and familiar - always in relation to the specific product. As attributes become more abstract, their perceived importance declines significantly. This suggests that this perception of the abstractness of sustainability characteristics plays a crucial role in shaping consumer choices.
This research contributes to a deeper understanding of sustainable consumption behaviors and aims to support the development of marketing strategies and policies that better communicate sustainability benefits in ways that resonate with consumers, helping to accelerate the transition toward more conscious and sustainable consumption patterns.