Self-Control and Sustainable Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Recent evidences from popular press and academic journals present a very disturbing picture of our consumption oriented society. For example, 66% of US population is obese, 25 million people are categorized as “binge eaters” (Godfrey 2004; Godfrey and Brownell 2008), and 2.4 million or 5.8% of US adults are compulsive shoppers (Koran et al. 2006). Financially, a staggering 13.9% of consumers’ disposable income is spent on interest payments of credit card debts (U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee 2009). Approximately, $1 trillion of businesses’ revenues are lost due to delinquent behaviors (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 2012), and 44% of college students in US are classified as “binge drinkers” (Wechsler et al. 2002) and so do 16.7% US adults (US Department of Health and Human Services 2012). This picture is not unique to US. According to World Health Organization (2012), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2011), and Eleventh UN-CTS (2008) obesity, crimes, substance abuse, consumer debt rates are reaching an all-time high. Most agree that such excessive consumption behavior is unsustainable (Markkula and Moisander 2012; Sanne 2002; Seyfang 2006) and something needs to be done. While, some associate such unregulated and impulsive behaviors with human avarice and greed (Dittmar 2005; Hagedorn and Juhnke 2005; Podoshen 2007); others have alluded to the lack of self-control on the part of consumers (Baumeister et al. 2008; de Vries et al. 2011; HaeEun et al. 2007; Hofmann et al. 2008; Sultan et al. 2012). This study focuses on the construct of self-control and its association with sustainable consumption behavior.This study takes the stance that the rich and complex construct of self-control is central to the sustainable consumption behavior because it helps consumers control the urge to consume without any considerations for the future consequences.