Moral Motives in Consumption

The authors introduce the “Three Moral Motives Framework” to explain and predict consumers’ moral behaviors in the marketplace. The framework identifies three key motives—moral-beneficence, moral-self, and moral-duty—that shape when, how, and why consumers seek moral utility in their consumption choices. These motives may work together or in opposition, with varying sensitivities across individuals and contexts, influencing divergent moral decisions. The framework aims to reconcile conflicting findings in moral behavior literature and offers a unified approach to understanding consumer morality in the marketplace.