Walking the walk: How the theory of reasoned action explains adult and student intentions to go green

Abstract

This research paper applies the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to the growing trend of consumers going green. The study includes a survey informed by the TRA to show how attitudes and beliefs influence intention and behavior. The survey was administered to two samples consisting of 202 adult non-student participants and 302 undergraduate business students in the northeastern United States. The findings indicate differences in green and non-green consumer behavior between the student and adult respondents. The findings support the hypothesis that green consumption intentions affect actual green consumption behavior. The findings show how nuances occur between measures of attitudes, subjective norms, and intention. The article concludes with insights for planning effective policy and firm-level marketing strategies to encourage consumer-green thinking, feeling, and acting. © 2011 The Clute Institute.