Project information
Consumer engagement in the circular economy: Perspectives from consumer neuroscience

Although consumer perspectives on the circular economy have been studied by several authors, conventional methods of investigating consumer decision-making relying on self-reported data have several drawbacks, such as treating decision-making processes outside the realm of self-awareness as a black box, or reflecting socially acceptable attitudes rather than reality. Indeed, when stated attitudes are inconsistent with performed behavior, which is a common phenomenon in the sustainable consumption domain, an additional implicit measurement can be provided by neuroscience methods. In addition to measuring implicit processes, these methods can help with identifying mechanisms, dissociating between psychological processes, understanding individual differences and improving predictions of behavior. Because of this potential, consumer neuroscience was also proposed as a promising tool to combine with behavioural interventions. This research project aims to investigate neural mechanisms of the impact of behavioral interventions on consumer attitudes and engagement in the circular economy.