Understanding the intention-behavior gap in brain decisions on green express packaging: An ERP study

Accelerating the green transformation of express packaging is crucial for sustainable logistics. This study combines behavioral experiments with event-related potential (ERP) technology to explore the interactive effects of green advertising appeals and price premiums on consumers’ willingness to pay for green express packaging. Behavioral results reveal that price premium act as a primary structural barrier, with consumers’ green choices decreasing significantly as costs increase. The ERPs data uncover the underlying psychological conflict during decision-making: in the early stage, high price premium elicited larger N2 amplitudes, reflecting increased cognitive conflict. Notably, egoistic appeals triggered the most pronounced N2 conflict under high-cost conditions. In the late evaluative stage, altruistic appeals significantly enhanced LPP amplitudes under low-premium conditions, reflecting higher motivational significance and moral satisfaction. However, this effect was neutralized as costs crossed a psychological threshold. These findings suggest that green advertising’s regulatory potential is strictly anchored by economic costs. This study provides a neurophysiological perspective for optimizing pricing and marketing strategies in digital green logistics.