Feeling good, staying low-carbon: the serial mediating roles of perceived social worth and pride

In many contexts, individuals can purchase low-carbon products, making low-carbon purchasing a highly visible and relatively accessible behavioral option. This study aims to examine whether low-carbon purchasing consistently functions as a “wedge”, defined as an initial behavior that disrupts routine consumption patterns to promote individuals’ broader low-carbon behaviors, as well as the psychological mechanism underlying this spillover effect. A total of 3,595 participants were surveyed. Six studies, employing methods such as large-sample surveys, measurements with validated scales, and experimental manipulations, were conducted to analyze main effects, mediating effects, and heterogeneity. Six empirical experiments were conducted, which not only demonstrated the existence of positive spillover effects but also revealed a critical boundary condition: when participants’ purchase motivations were driven by self-enhancement reasons (i.e., self-interest) rather than self-transcending reasons (i.e., environmental benefits), the positive spillover effect disappeared. The findings indicate that low-carbon purchasing plays a “wedge” role in promoting more extensive low-carbon behavior among individuals by elevating perceived social worth and pride in the purchase decision. More importantly, purchasing motivation is a determining factor. This research provides a possible explanation for the mixed empirical results on spillovers from high low-carbon product attributes, demonstrates how motivation to purchase influences broader low-carbon behaviors, and offers valuable insights for managers.