Study on the Impact of Awe on Consumers’ Green Purchasing Intention

Studies show that awe can predict prosocial behaviors. However, the effects of awe on green consumption or its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Awe promotes the small self that can promote connectedness to nature (CNS). Emotion regulation strategies can modify the effects of emotions on behavior. Therefore, this study investigated the moderating effects of emotion regulation strategies (emotion reappraisal and suppression) and the multi-step mediating effects of the small self and CNS on awe’s impact on consumers’ green purchasing intentions. Through four experiments, the study showed that (a) awe positively impacts consumers’ green purchasing intentions; (b) the small self and CNS play a multi-step mediating role in awe’s positive effect on green purchasing intention; (c) emotion reappraisal moderates awe’s favorable influence on green purchase intentions; and (d) apart from positive awe, negative and unnatural awe also influence green purchasing intention positively. This research has practical implications for companies’ green marketing strategies.