Evolution and research frontiers of green consumption behavior: Insights from bibliographic coupling and co-occurrence analyses

This study examines the evolving intellectual structure and emerging research trajectories of green consumption behavior (GCB) using a targeted bibliometric approach. Based on 288 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus and published between 2020 and 2024, bibliometric mapping was conducted with VOSviewer by integrating keyword co-occurrence analysis and bibliographic coupling. The findings show that intention-based frameworks, particularly the Theory of Planned Behavior, remain structurally central to GCB research. However, recent studies increasingly move beyond narrowly cognitive explanations by incorporating moral considerations, branding mechanisms, and communication-related factors. Emerging streams on green customer-based brand equity, digitally mediated communication, and greenwashing highlight a growing emphasis on credibility, trust, and contextual sensitivity, alongside increased attention to post-intention and post-purchase dynamics. By clarifying the evolving knowledge architecture of GCB research, this study advances a process-oriented perspective that emphasizes credibility as a key condition under which green intentions translate into sustained consumption behavior.