A Multi-Behaviour Longitudinal Study for Predicting Sustainable Clothing Purchasing: The Moderating Effect of Pro-Environmental Identity

Abstract

Abstract Previous research investigated the impact of psychosocial predictors (e.g. attitude, social and moral norm, perceived behavioural control, intention) on sustainable clothing purchasing behaviour. To date, no studies considered whether pro-environmental self-identity moderates the effects of these predictors on behaviour. In this study, we adopted an intrapersonal approach to examine the effects of pro-environmental self-identity on different behaviours and a longitudinal design to assess the moderating role of pro-environmental self-identity in predicting intentions and behaviours, controlling for past behaviour. 250 participants completed a first questionnaire designed to measure the Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs related to three different sustainable clothing purchase behaviours. One month later, the participants completed a second questionnaire in which they assessed their self-assessment of these behaviours. The results showed that for all behaviours, affective attitude influenced behaviour positively, while cognitive attitude had a negative influence. The influence of previous behaviours increased with a decrease in pro-environmental self-identity.