Aging and Sustainable Consumption: An Investigation of the Role of Time Perspective

This research investigates how time perspective influences sustainable consumption among older consumers, a rapidly growing demographic. Across five studies, we find that older consumers are generally less likely than younger consumers to engage in sustainable consumption, largely because they adopt a shorter time perspective (Study 1). Message cues that prompt a long (vs. short or neutral) time perspective increase older consumers' likelihood of choosing environmentally friendly options (Studies 2a and 2b). We also show that the impact of age‐related differences in time perspective on sustainable consumption is moderated by perceived youthfulness, an individual's tendency to feel younger than their actual (chronological) age. This moderation emerges both when older consumers chronically perceive themselves as younger than their actual age (Study 3) and when they are exposed to young (vs. old) social cues that situationally induce them to feel younger (Study 4). Together, the findings offer theoretical and practical insights for promoting sustainable behavior in an increasingly older consumer population.