Voting With Dollars: Conservatives Less Likely To Buy Eco-friendly Products, Study Says

According to a new set of studies, the more politically conservative a person is, the less likely they are to purchase products advertised as environmentally friendly.

The studies from the business schools at the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University sought to determine how political ideology affected a person's choice to buy energy-efficient products in the United States.

"A popular strategy for marketing energy efficiency is to focus on its environmental benefits," said University of Pennsylvania's Dena Gromet, the lead author on the studies. "But not everyone values protecting the environment. We were interested in whether promoting the environment could in fact deter some individuals from purchasing energy efficient options that they would have otherwise selected."

The first study surveyed 657 U.S. adults, 49 percent men, ranging from 18- to 66-years old, on their political ideologies and the value they placed on reducing carbon dioxide emissions to protect the environment, reducing dependence on foreign oil and reducing the financial cost of energy use. They also indicated how much they favored investing in energy-efficient technology.

The more conservative the participant, the less likely that person was to support investing in energy-efficient technology, likely because they placed a lower value on reducing carbon emissions, the study found. 

The second study involved 210 participants, 61 percent female, who ranged in age from 18 to 66. Again, all participants gave information about their political ideologies. Participants were given money to spend on a light bulb and could keep whatever they did not spend.

Participants were then educated about the benefits of long-lasting, energy efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs over traditional incandescent bulbs. Some of the CFL bulbs came with a sticker that said "Protect The Environment" while the others did not clearly advertise any environmental benefits on the packaging. 

Researchers set the prices of the light bulbs. In some cases, the CFL bulb was priced at $1.50, while the incandescent bulb was 50 cents. When the more expensive CFL came with no environmental label, liberals and conservatives selected it at roughly the same high frequency. When the more expensive CFL bulb also was accompanied by a "protect the environment" sticker, participants who identified as more politically moderate or conservative were less likely to buy it.

For other participants, both incandescent and CFL bulbs were priced at 50 cents. All but one of these participants bought the CFL bulb regardless of the sticker, indicating that everyone was attracted to a good economic deal regardless of their political leanings.

"The environmental aspect of energy efficiency has an ideologically polarizing impact that can undermine demand for energy-efficient technology, specifically among more politically conservative individuals," said Howard Kunreuther of UPenn. "On a more positive note, the results of the second study indicate that focusing on the nature of the message coupled with economic incentives should promote investment in energy-efficient products." 

"These findings demonstrate that a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful for making energy-efficient products appealing to consumers," said Richard Larrick of Duke. "People have different energy-related values which can influence their choices, including leading them to reject options that they recognize as having long-term economic benefits. In many cases, a tailored message may be needed to reach different market segments."