Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Sustainable Consumption and Life Satisfaction

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sustainable consumption and life satisfaction. One aspect of sustainable consumption focused on in this study is the environment friendly purchase or green purchase. Using data collected from consumers in 14 cities in China, we found that consumers who reported green purchase intention and behavior had higher scores in life satisfaction compared to other consumers after controlling for gender, age, education, and family income. The findings add evidence to the literature that suggests happiness is associated with prosocial spending (Dunn et al., Science 319:1687–1688 in 2008).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brown, K. W., & Kasser, T. (2005). Are psychological and ecological well-being compatible? The role of values, mindfulness, and lifestyle. Social Indicators Research, 74(2), 349–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95(3), 542–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2002). Will money increase subjective well-being? Social Indicators Research, 57(2), 119–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, E. W., Aknin, L. B., & Norton, M. I. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science, 319, 1687–1688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franzen, A. (2003). Environmental attitudes in international comparison: An analysis of the ISSP surveys 1993 and 2000. Social Science Quarterly, 84(2), 297–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guillen-Royo, M. (2008). Consumption and subjective wellbeing: Exploring basic needs, social comparison, social integration and hedonism in Peru. Social Indicators Research, 89(3), 535–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heady, B., Muffels, R., & Wooden, M. (2008). Money does not buy happiness: Or does it? A reassessment based on the combined effects of wealth, income and consumption. Social Indicators Research, 87(1), 65–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacob, J., Jovic, E., & Brinkerhoff, M. (2009). Personal and planetary well-being: Mindfulness meditation, pro-environmental behavior and personal quality of life in a survey from the social justice and ecological sustainability movement. Social Indicators Research, 93(2), 275–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., & Krueger, A. B. (2006). Developments in the measurement of subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Perspective, 20(1), 3–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, H. (2004). Mass consumption society in China: Market economy and consumer behavior. Kyoto, Japan: Mineruva Press. (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynbomirsky, S., Sheldon, K., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michalos, A. C. (1997). Combining social, economic and environmental indicators to measure sustainable human well-being. Social Indicators Research, 40(1–2), 221–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oslo roundtable on sustainable production and consumption. (1994). Retrieved May 2, 2010 from, http://www.iisd.ca/consume/oslo000.html.

  • Sirgy, M. J., Michalos, A. C., Ferriss, A. L., Easterlin, R. E., Patrick, D., & Pavot, W. (2006). The quality-of-life (QOL) research movement: Past, present, and future. Social Indicators Research, 76, 343–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Struwig, J. (2010). South Africans’ attitudes towards the environment. In B. Roberts, M. Kivilu, & Y. D. Davids (Eds.), South African social attitudes 2nd report: Reflections on the age of hope (pp. 198–219). Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao, J. J., Tang, C., & Shim, S. (2009). Acting for happiness: Financial behavior and life satisfaction of college students. Social Indicator Research, 92, 53–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao, J. J., & Ying, B. (2008). Sustainable consumption in China: Role of Chinese consumers. In M. O’Donoghue (Ed.), Global sustainable development: A challenge for consumer citizens (Ebook). Lucerne, Switzerland: IFHE.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jing Jian Xiao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xiao, J.J., Li, H. Sustainable Consumption and Life Satisfaction. Soc Indic Res 104, 323–329 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9746-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9746-9

Keywords

Navigation