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Article

Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption

by
Meiling Yin
1,
Hanna Choi
1 and
Eun-Ju Lee
1,2,*
1
Business School, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea
2
Neuro Intelligence Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 03063, Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15007; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215007
Submission received: 15 September 2022 / Revised: 4 November 2022 / Accepted: 10 November 2022 / Published: 13 November 2022
(This article belongs to the Section Air, Climate Change and Sustainability)
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Abstract

:
Climate change is a major threat to humanity and endangers our way of life. If a critical mass of consumers can consider the consequences of the daily consumption choices they make, we could hope for a better future. From a neuroethical viewpoint, we examined how a consumer’s ecological consciousness can be awakened, leading to eco-friendly consumption. This study used the neuroscientific method of event-related potentials (ERP) to explore the neural mechanisms underlying climate change. Both frontal N300 and posterior P300 ERP components occur under climate change conditions which is a neural representation of ecological consciousness. Consumers who exhibited simultaneous frontal N300 and posterior P300 activation were more likely than those who did not to make eco-friendly product choices during the consumption tasks. Using these neurobehavioral findings, marketers can promote eco-friendly consumption based on ecological consciousness.

1. Introduction

Climate change is a real threat to humanity and can have unpredictable consequences. Companies worldwide are facing a paradigm shift from growth-oriented management to sustainable environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) management, which pursues long-term growth while undertaking environmental and social responsibilities [1]. As the public interest in the environment increases, owing to the abnormal climate [2], companies are paying attention to carbon issues and insisting on green marketing [3].
Countries and companies, as well as individual consumers, are participating in sustainable green movements to choose good products for the planet [4]. Green consumers seek to exercise their purchasing power to protect the natural environment and enhance the planet’s ecological sustainability. Consumers who perceive the risks posed by environmental problems engage in daily eco-friendly behaviours, such as refusing to purchase products from pollutant-emitting companies, saving water, purchasing environmentally safe products, and limiting vehicle use [5]. Giving priority to environmental responsibilities must not be a temporary trend, but a long-term promise. However, the shift to sustainability is difficult and requires sacrificing convenience and pleasure for a better future. Green products are perceived as expensive and poor in performance compared to their traditional counterparts [6]. Despite the efforts of policymakers and increased consumer interest in environmental issues, the market share of eco-friendly products remains low. For individuals to make small personal sacrifices, they must recognize the seriousness of the environmental problem and be inspired by the moral imperatives of preserving the ecosystem.
Ecological consciousness refers to a sense of connectedness to the ecological world, which includes all living things—plants, animals, and even microbes, such as viruses. In this study, we explain the changes toward eco-friendly choices during this period of life under climate change [7]. Using an interdisciplinary approach that ecological consciousness is grounded in consumer neuroscience [8], we investigate how awareness of the deteriorating state of the ecological world can evoke polarized brain wave response patterns in a wide network of global brain regions. The mechanism of choosing eco-friendly products can be expressed via ecological consciousness [9], a process that has been hidden in consumers’ brains. This process can now be observed through a neuroscientific research method to reveal the relationship between brain activation and subsequent behavioural changes in the direction of eco-friendly consumption.
Previous studies have adopted self-report questionnaires to explain consumer perceptions and behaviours. However, this method has limitations due to individual motivation and psychological distortion in the cognitive evaluation process, that is, the bias in providing normative responses. Therefore, we investigated attitudes toward climate change using an electroencephalogram (EEG), which can investigate the minds of consumers. We used an EEG analysis technique called event-related potentials (ERP) to reveal the psychological mechanisms and patterns of specific brain regions that underlie climate change.
To explain this phenomenon, we focused on the processing of climate change messages and consumer behaviour using EEG analysis to analyse whether the threat that climate change poses to all living things evokes deep ecological consciousness in people. We then investigated whether messages related to climate change affect consumer preferences for eco-friendly products. Our research employed neuroscientific techniques to examine subjective theories such as deep ecological consciousness. In addition, to increase the comprehensiveness of the study, behavioural and EEG studies were conducted to investigate the effects of climate change-related consumer cognitive processes and eco-friendly consumption. This study is the first to investigate the electrophysiological mechanisms of climate change in the context of green consumption. The implications of this study shed light on the neurobiological basis of climate change associated with the behaviour of green consumption.

2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

As is the case for all behaviours, prosocial behaviours, such as eco-friendly consumption, have underlying causes. Previous studies have primarily discussed the moral value in relation to moral consumption. Stern et al. [10] explained moral behaviour in terms of the relationships among values, beliefs, and norms, while Malti et al. [11] explained moral behaviour in terms of moral motivation and empathy. These studies commonly focus on the social access aspect of what leads to moral behaviour, as the internalization and habituation of these elements require a certain level of education and tend to follow the norms of society. However, this phenomenal aspect enables individuals to subjectively perceive moral thinking and reasoning. Phenomenal consciousness is unquestionable and scientific given its private nature, and that it is experienced by everyone, but not directly acquainted with the experiences of others [12]. To strengthen the link between consumer attitudes and behaviours, individuals require social values and recognize a crisis on their own. Therefore, marketing communications, such as green logos and environmental messages, are important means of encouraging eco-friendly consumption. Social access helps promote moral consumption to follow social norms, but a phenomenal consciousness is necessary for consumers to act subjectively. Table 1 presents the results of antecedent variables that affect prosocial behaviour that has been presented in prior studies.

2.1. Ecological Threats Related to Climate Change

The current climate change crisis is one of the most difficult challenges faced by the highly globalized world because countries compete for the same limited resources [25]. Climate change causes shortages in resources, such as food or water [26], and changes the geographic and seasonal distributions of infectious diseases [27].
Previous studies have raised the issue of perceptions and uncertainty regarding the risks of climate change [28,29]. Researchers have stressed the need for strong and early action to prevent the worst consequences of climate change [30]; however, only little practical action has been implemented, while greenhouse gas concentrations have continued to rise, extreme weather phenomena occur more frequently, and the spread of infectious diseases has accelerated [31]. The fact that the climate is changing is known; however, exactly how fast or in what way remains unknown. The uncertainty surrounding future generations has increased the importance of environmental issues. Therefore, future generations will benefit if the current generation succeeds to cooperate and will suffer if the cooperation of the current generation fails.
Consumers’ choices are made by consciously or unconsciously referring to clues from sources, such as environment, mood, purchase motivation, and exposure to advertising [32]. Visual representation of climate change is often used in the media to enhance the public understanding of climate change and induce behavioural change by linking abstract concepts surrounding climate change with everyday experiences [33]. Mainieri et al. [34] stated that those who are aware of the seriousness of the current threat have higher purchase intentions for green products. Accordingly, we propose the following hypothesis:
H1. 
Consumers exposed to climate threat messages are likely to increase their eco-friendly choices.

2.2. Climates Deep Impacts on the Brain: Fronto-Posterior Activations

In this section, we explore how climate threats impact the frontal and posterior regions of the brain. Extant neuroscience literature has often shown that the deep impacts of a salient stimulus can activate more than a single brain region [35,36]. When consciousness is processed deeply, not in a superficial manner, the deep impact on the brain can be manifested in brain areas that involve attention and cognition [37]. Consciousness is the condition of being awake, aware of phenomena, and able to understand what is happening [38]. One of the most central and momentous distinctions is that between phenomenal consciousness and access consciousness [12]. Access consciousness is a central access of the body system to information and can be used to control reasoning and behaviour [39]. The mark of access consciousness is available for use in reasoning and rationally guiding speech and actions.
The frontal cortex is associated with rational and goal-oriented behaviour, and activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is correlated with behavioural performance [40]. This area maintains a high demand for conflict-resolution tasks; therefore, the frontal cortex plays a key role in performing rational actions. The frontal cortex appears to contribute to social functions through the action of major professional execution functions, such as dealing with complex social situations. The role of the frontal lobe within the social domain is related to obtaining a social perspective, inferring the intentions of others, committing to relationships, and suppressing selfish behaviour [41,42]. In particular, the N200 event-related potential that occurs in the frontal lobe is related to the suppression of impulses in conflict situations, such as go/no-go tasks [43]. Additionally, the frontal lobe plays an important role in high-dimensional cognitive work, such as moral and monetary desires.
As a result of identifying markers between individuals’ differences in the frequency of eco-friendly behaviours, the activation of the right lateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region known to be involved in cognitive and self-control processes, explains individual differences in environmentally friendly behaviours. In this area, the higher the activation of the cortical baseline, the higher the frequency of prosocial behaviour [44].
Wang and van den Berg [45] stated that resource shortages and responsibilities due to climate change are related to fairness, and unfair experiences activate the bilateral frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is related to pain. Studies using EEG have found that unfair suggestions induced a large and negative polarity event-related potential [46]. Therefore, patients with minor damage to the frontal lobe are indifferent to their surroundings and lack the motivation to work for themselves or others or both.
The processing of conscious information starting in the frontal lobe area does not end in the frontal lobe but leads to other areas through neural circuits. Phenomenal consciousness refers to the subjective experience of every sensation and thought [12]. The information available in awareness corresponds to the representation of information in consciousness [47]. The human occipital cortex is a visual association area with feature extraction, shape recognition, attention, and multimodal integration functions [48]. Damage to the occipital lobe results in the inability to integrate and correctly identify the presented stimuli.
P300 is observed in the occipital region, which is associated with visual attention to new stimuli [49]. Studies on the relationship between attention and consciousness suggest that the capture of attention generated by cues is an important determinant of conscious perception [50]. At a peak of approximately 350 ms, P300 reflects a stimulus-led attention mechanism [46]. San Martín et al. [49] classified those who reported higher actual altruistic behaviour as P300, according to the degree to which they paid attention to the experimental task. Individuals who scored lower on the self-reported altruism scale showed more interest in outcomes for themselves than those for charity; however, those who scored higher on the self-reported altruism scale showed no difference in the attention process, indicating that altruistic tendencies worked. Davoodi et al. [51] reported that top-down attention in the state of consciousness is associated with an increase in P300. Many researchers view P300 as a reliable signature of consciousness and that P300 has a strong correlation with subjective perception [52]. Therefore, we predict the following brain wave activities when consumers face climate change threats:
H2. 
Consumers exposed to climate threat messages exhibit an N300 and a P300 peak in the frontal (H2-1) and posterior regions of the brain (H2-2), respectively.

2.3. Ecological Consciousness

With the advent of the industrial revolution, as capitalism was established, the accumulation of human wealth accelerated anthropocentric thinking and materialism. As a result, companies globally have endlessly exploited earth’s resources and used the ecosystem as a tool. The brain has the capacity to deal with various types of information processing, such as processes involving the representation of information in parallel, and to experience numerous unconscious and conscious awareness stages within a short period of time.
If human beings extend their morality to the environment, earth, and other living things, this phenomenon could be explained as ecological consciousness. According to White [53], ecological consciousness is a state of mind that is defined by a psycho-spiritual connection to nature. Currently, as we are gradually becoming aware of the seriousness of abnormal climates, the concept of “deep ecological consciousness” is expected to increase, where increasing awareness and knowledge of the environment leads to an eco-friendly attitude to prevent contamination. Table 2 provides a chronology of the various definitions used for ecological consciousness.
Deep ecological consciousness is the enlightened sense of connectedness to the ecological world around us, including humans, all other life forms, and the natural physical environment. Ecological consciousness induced by stimuli refers to a subjective experience that engages humans in moral actions on their own. Keyes and Haidt [58] observed that as children grow up, they experience harm and build their own morality based on this experience. In contrast, access consciousness is objective and is more likely to follow the rules of society [59]. In eco-friendly consumerism, behavioural choices are based on the evaluation of right and wrong [60]; therefore, consumers adhere to certain green principles because it is the right thing to do, and they recognize that violating these principles is wrong. This phenomenon results in a high level of self-regulating behaviour, as individuals seek to match their values and behaviours.
As an ethical focus was placed on lives other than humans, the idea of respect for all lives increased. Taylor [61] insisted on respect for life and argued that the lives of living beings other than humans should be respected. The life-centred value that non-human life should be respected affects today’s ecological and moral ethics.

2.4. The Morality of Eco-Friendly Consumer Choice

Pro-environmental behaviour refers to conscious actions performed by an individual to lessen the negative impact of human activities on the environment or enhance the quality of the environment or both [62]. To encourage prosocial behaviour, understanding the underlying causes is necessary. Some researchers define altruism as a motivating state that is often associated with prosocial behaviour. Altruism is a motive for increasing the well-being of others [63]. Individuals choose, execute, and manage their actions to realize goals [64]. In contrast, selfish individuals who seek only self-interest and perceive that their actions do not have to bring positive results to others have low control and feel that it is difficult and meaningless to do much about environmental issues [65]. Additionally, these individuals are less willing to pay higher taxes and prices, which may be necessary for protecting the environment.
Moreover, moral consciousness reflects the expectations and guiding principles of how to behave in society. Therefore, people are willing to sacrifice short-term interests for the collective good [66]. These people believe that human health and well-being are not separate from the natural environment but are inherent in it. Therefore, the ecological consciousness that results from climate change promotes eco-friendly behaviour [67]. Consumers with higher ecological consciousness are more willing to purchase green products and pay green premiums than those without [68]. Moreover, Lin and Chang [69] found that even though eco-friendly products are less effective in terms of product performance than conventional products, consumers with higher moral consciousness are willing to pay a high price premium for green products than those without.
Deep ecological consciousness requires global collaboration in which several areas of the brain are networked. In particular, the occipital lobe has neural responses to visual stimuli [70], as it can reconstruct visual stimuli into distinct spatiotemporal patterns and participate in visual–spatial attention, while the frontal lobe, which is associated with executive functions, triggers rational behaviour and inhibits impulsive behaviour [40]. The frontal lobe is a general-purpose reasoning system that enables behaviours that serve longer-term goals, that is, goals that are not automatically activated by current environmental stimuli or endogenous somatic states [40]. The operations of this system are typically conscious, voluntary, and often effortful. Using cognitive processes, we formulate behavioural plans based on detailed and explicit knowledge of the situations we face, along with general knowledge we have about the world and how it works [71]. For visual stimuli to produce ecological consciousness, the interaction between the frontal and occipital lobes is required. The impacts on ecological consciousness arising from both the frontal lobe and occipital lobe led the individual to engage voluntarily in moral action.
H3. 
The higher the N300 peak in the frontal lobe, the stronger the eco-friendly behaviour (H3-1). Likewise, the higher the P300 peak in the occipital lobe, the stronger the eco-friendly behaviour (H3-2).
Figure 1 summarizes the theoretical model of climate change and eco-friendly behaviour. Information related to climate change affects brain areas related to individual ecological consciousness.

3. Methodology

3.1. Climate Change and Eco-Friendly Behaviour

3.1.1. Experimental Procedures and Designs

The survey was conducted using Prolific (https://www.prolific.co, accessed on 15 September 2021), an online survey platform for data collection, and subjects were recruited globally. The first page of our survey explained the purpose of the study, ensuring the anonymity of the personal responses that were given during the experiment.
Participants who agreed to the experiment were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (control or climate) using Prolific software and were shown images related to their respective conditions. The images in the control condition were positive images, and the images in the climate change condition were climate crisis images (Figure 2). Climate change images presented were based on disasters, extremes, ice icons, drought, and denuded landscapes. Images reflect climate change, similar to those used by Leviston et al. [72]. Fifteen images for each condition were shown, and each condition was repeated twice.
After this step, we performed a manipulation test for each case. The level of threat in each condition was assessed using six bipolar adjective pairs on seven-point scales, where higher scores indicated a greater perception of threat [73]. The adjective pairs included not threatening/threatening, not harmful/harmful, not dangerous/dangerous, not risky/risky, calm/anxious, and not scary/scary.
At the end of each condition, the ratio of eco-friendly product selection was measured five times for each condition (climate change versus control). Participants were asked to choose a new household drain cleaner, lamp, batteries, bottled water, and shampoo (all green versus non-green). Eco-friendly products were described as “good for the environment, but 20% more expensive than general products”, and non-eco-friendly products were described as “at the same price as general products”. This design was adapted from Lee et al. [21]. The score for eco-friendly consumption is presented as the percentage of choosing more expensive eco-friendly products.

3.1.2. Behavioural Results

One hundred twenty-seven participants participated in the survey, with a survey utilization rate of 97.7 percent. The average age of the 68 participants in the climate-change condition was 25 years, and 34 (50%) participants were women. The average age of the 59 participants in the control condition was 23.6 years, and 34 (57.6%) participants were women.
Data analysis was performed using the R package, which is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. The results of the manipulation tests related to the two conditions (control versus climate change condition) were as follows. The resulting difference in threat levels was significant, with the degree of a threat being higher in the climate change condition (Mcontrol = 3.23, Mclimate = 6.02, t = 11.77, p < 0.001).
The results of the t-test analysis with eco-friendly product selectivity as the dependent variable showed a statistically significant preference for eco-friendly products among those in the climate change condition (Mcontrol = 0.51, Mclimate = 0.69, t = 3.79, p < 0.001), supporting H1. The difference in eco-friendly preference between the two conditions is shown in Figure 3.

3.2. ERP Study

This study uses electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis to confirm the difference between climate change and control conditions. EEG, one of the most widely used brainwave measurement methods in management and decision-making processes, is easy to use for examining abstract concepts in humans, such as creativity and the consumption-selection process (74). The threats related to climate change can reveal consumers’ psychology by activating the relevant brain area. To verify this, the EEG response related to climate change was investigated using an event-related potential (ERP) analysis that can confirm the direct results of specific senses and cognition in the brain. Participants’ brains were examined while thy see the images related to climate change.

3.2.1. Experimental Procedures and Designs

Twenty right-handed undergraduates and graduates were engaged in the EEG experiment, but three participants were excluded because the EEG data were not recorded, so seventeen subjects were analysed. In the case of the ERP study, it is common to increase the reliability of data through repeated measurement. Our sample size was determined based on previous ERP studies [74]. All contents and procedures of the experiment were carried out with the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the first author’s university (IRB no. 2021-01-022-001). Prior to the experiment, all subjects who participated in the EEG experiment filled out a consent form for participation in the experiment.
The experiment was conducted in a soundproof room. The subjects sat in front of a PC monitor in a comfortable position to participate in the experiment. EEG data were recorded using a 32-channel Brain Product System. Thirty-two Ag/Ag CL electrodes were placed at standard international 10–20 system sites using an elastic cap. E-prime 3.0 Software was used to present stimuli. The EEG signals were sampled at the 500 Hz rate, and the impedance of all electrodes was below 10 kΩ. The EEG climate change paradigm is the same as the behavioural experiment in Figure 2.
The two conditions were randomly assigned, and the experiment used a within-subject design. An explanation of the procedure was given for five seconds before 30 images related to each condition were presented for three seconds each. Then, the participants indicated their preference for a general product or an eco-friendly product by pressing a corresponding button (1 or 2) on the keypad. The ERP epochs to test were quantified for 800 ms (200 ms pre-stimulus baseline). After all experiments were completed, the subjects received a small payment.

3.2.2. Event-Related Potential (ERP) Analysis Results

EEG data were processed and analysed using the EEGLAB toolbox on MATLAB. All signals were re-referenced to the average of all channels. To remove noise generated during EEG measurement, we performed preprocessing, basic FIR filtering (0.05–30 Hz), and cleanline. Time-locked ERP to the climate slide was calculated by average epoch from 280 to 380 ms. The waveform and topographic map of the ERP were reported as a grand average of the 17 participants.
After applying the Greenhouse-Geisser correction, we used the repeated-measures ANOVA to test the differences between climate change and control groups. In addition, to determine the importance of the significance probability result, the effect size eta-square was used. Grand-averaged ERP waveforms at the frontal lobe (N300) showed the differences between the climate-change condition and the control condition. The significant difference between the two conditions of N300 (280–380 ms) were specifically identified in F6 channels located in the frontal lobe. The repeated-measures ANOVA showed that the average amplitude of the climate-change condition in the F6 channel was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.740, F (1, 16) = 5.980, Mclimate = −1.50 μV, Mcontrol =0.293 μV, p = 0.026, η2 = 0.260).
Therefore, the test confirmed that a stronger ERP amplitude (N300 potential) responds in the frontal lobe under the climate-change condition, so H2-1 is supported. See Figure 4 for ERP waveforms and topographic maps.
Grand-averaged ERP waveforms at the posterior (P300) also showed differences between the climate-change condition and the control condition. The significant difference between the two conditions of P300 (280–380 ms) were specifically identified in five channels—Poz, PO3, PO4, PO7 and PO8—located in the occipital lobe.
The repeated-measures ANOVA showed that the average amplitude of the climate-change condition in the Poz channel was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.672, F (1, 16) = 7.813, Mclimate = 4.608 μV, Mcontrol = 3.798 μV, p = 0.013, η2= 0.328). In the PO3 channel, the mean amplitude of the climate-change condition was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.713, F (1, 16) = 6.315, Mclimate = 4.482 μV, Mcontrol = 3.561 μV, p = 0.023, η2 = 0.283). In the PO4 channel, the mean amplitude of the climate-change condition was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.717, F (1, 16) = 6.322, Mclimate = 5.023 μV, Mcontrol = 4.233 μV, p = 0.023, η2 = 0.283). In the PO7 channel, the mean amplitude of the climate-change condition was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.747, F (1, 16) = 5.408, Mclimate = 4.417 μV, Mcontrol = 3.608 μV, p = 0.034, η2 = 0.253). In the PO8 channel, the mean amplitude of the climate-change condition was significantly higher than that of the control condition (Wilk’s λ = 0.690, F (1, 16) = 7.175, Mclimate = 3.714 μV, Mcontrol = 3.046 μV, p = 0.016, η2 = 0.310).
Therefore, a stronger ERP amplitude (P300 potential) responds in the occipital lobe under the climate-change condition, and H2-2 is supported. See Figure 4 for ERP waveforms and topographic maps.

3.2.3. Correlation between Event-Related Potential (ERP) and Eco-Friendly Choices

The difference in eco-friendly preferences based on the two conditions (climate change vs. control) was measured using EEG experiments. The eco-friendly selection was measured 10 times. Out of a total of 170 (17*10) trials, 57 percent of eco-friendly products and 43 percent of general products were selected under the climate-change condition. Under the control condition, 27.6 percent of eco-friendly products and 72.4 percent of general products were selected. T-tests with the eco-friendly product selection ratio show a significant difference in eco-friendly product selection based on the condition (Mclimate = 0.57, Mcontrol = 0.27, t = −2.62, p = 0.013).
We also investigated the relationship between eco-friendly product selection and the ERP data. The correlation between the N300 and the eco-friendly selection ratio based on the two conditions was significant (r = −0.37, p = 0.03), so H3.1 is supported (Figure 5). The larger the amplitude (i.e., the higher the negative potential), the more eco-friendly products were selected. Similarly, the correlation between the P300 and the eco-friendly selection ratio based on the two conditions was significant (r = 0.43, p = 0.012), so H3.2 is supported (Figure 5). The larger the amplitude (i.e., the higher the positive potential), the more eco-friendly products were selected.

4. General Discussion

The current study used EEG to simultaneously examine cognitive processes in consumers and green behaviour while exposed to information related to climate change. These results have important implications for protecting the environment and promoting sustainable consumption. Although the theory of ecological consciousness has been well established in the literature [53,54,55,56,57], only a few studies have provided electrophysiological evidence of the subjective phenomenon of ecological consciousness as felt within individuals. To address this gap in the literature, we used ERP as a neuroscientific method to measure cognitive processes when a consumer is exposed to information related to climate change. The neural indicators of ecological consciousness in our study were represented by the brain’s frontal N300 and posterior P300 peaks. Information related to climate change appears to activate ecological consciousness in consumers. Furthermore, brain neural indicators appear to correlate with eco-friendly consumption behaviours.
Our results are consistent with existing research in the following ways. First, ecological consciousness due to climate change exposure is a complex combination of cognition and emotion [75]. Climate exposure improves performance in effortful cognitive tasks. Such findings are typically interpreted as evidence for nature-related cognitive enhancement [76], but may additionally reflect more general motivational processes [77]. Shrum et al. [78] observed that an individual’s concern or interest in environmental issues increases their ecological awareness of climate change. Yadav et al. [79] integrated the theory of rational and planned behaviour into the context of sustainable consumer behaviour. The results pertaining to ecological consciousness obtained in the present study are consistent with previous studies in which subjective experience and perceived behavioural control were integrated.
Second, using the ERP method, we found that the negative potential (N300) peak was activated in the frontal region when the participants engaged in climate change-related information. The consciousness in participants triggers cognitive effort expressed by the N300 peak in the prefrontal cortex [12]. Positive activity in the occipital lobe is known to reflect attention, stimulus perception, evaluation, and classification in response selection and execution [80], which induces automatic consciousness [12]. Previous research has suggested that frontoparietal networks are active during the reception of green marketing messages [21]. Similarly, the results of our EEG analysis are consistent with existing studies based on ecological consciousness which revealed that consumers’ eco-friendly behaviours are represented by increased activity in global brain networks rather than a single local area of the brain.
Third, climate exposure was found to affect eco-friendly behaviour. This finding is consistent with previous studies showing that exposure to nature or green labelling increases environmental awareness in consumers [81], and participants take action to protect their surroundings [82,83]. The ecological consciousness of sustainability plays an important role in ecological purchasing behaviour [84]. Thus, in terms of consumption decisions, ecological moral awareness requires consumers to arrive at purchasing decisions that benefit the ecological community.
The strengths of the current research can be summarized by the following three points: First, regarding the threat posed by climate change, people have begun to pay attention to the severity of climate change [85]. However, few studies have simultaneously examined climate and moral behaviour based on biological responses. The present study is significant in addressing the relationship among the environment, action, and individuals, and observing an attitudinal change toward the environment through biological indicators. Second, the psychological mechanism by which climate change induces consumers to purchase eco-friendly products was identified. The cognitive mechanisms related to climate change were investigated by applying neuroscience, a scientific and objective method that confirmed that the P300 and N300 potentials, shown as a result of this study, are useful markers for climate change and ecological consciousness. The simultaneous activation of the frontal and posterior regions of the brain suggests that consumers may prefer eco-friendly products because climate threats and environmental pollution induce consumers’ ecological consciousness. Third, climate change can drive people to choose eco-friendly products. Ecological threats can increase eco-friendly consumption by causing humans to realize the importance of environmental issues to human survival.
Moreover, the results of this study have several theoretical implications. To understand the relationship between climate change and eco-friendly consumption, measuring the cognitive processes in consumer is necessary. Existing research has well-organized ecological consciousness, but the research is subjective and does not provide objective evidence of the physical response that occurs in the brain to the state of mind. Our study provides complementary evidence using a highly collaborative approach among cognitive neuroscience, environmental psychology, and marketing. The P300 and N300 indicators observed in this study provide biological indicators for existing theories, such as ecological consciousness. We tested previously identified relationships and extended the existing theories.
The results of our study can have practical implications for marketers and policymakers seeking to strengthen eco-friendly consumption. Marketers and policymakers should encourage the adoption of eco-friendly products through effective mechanisms. Our results can help marketers and policymakers to develop specialized communication programs for non-eco-friendly consumers. In addition, as interest in environmental and climate change has increased [2,66], the moral consciousness of the consumers about the environment has increased. Therefore, many companies now conduct ESG management for sustainable growth. Green marketing innovations related to renewable and low-energy products are expected to be important means of creating value for consumers.
Although we provide new insights into eco-friendly consumption, our study has some limitations that should be addressed in future research. We used the EEG method and observed brain wave activities in the cortical areas of the frontal and posterior regions related to moral consciousness; however, future studies should investigate a wider range of brain areas, including deep brain limbic structures and theory-of-mind areas using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Temporal, parietal lobes, and limbic areas could be associated with social collaboration efforts in working toward the goal of ESG [86]; therefore, future research is warranted to investigate the ecological consciousness of businesses and consumers more deeply.

Author Contributions

Funding acquisition, E.-J.L.; Methodology, M.Y.; Project administration, E.-J.L.; Writing—original draft, M.Y.; Writing—review & editing, H.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by Korea National Research Foundation (NRF) (2021R1A2B5B01001391).

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Sungkyunkwan University (IRB No. 2021-01-022-001 and date of approval; 22 February 2021).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. Research Model. N300 means frontal negativity, and P300 means posterior positivity.
Figure 1. Research Model. N300 means frontal negativity, and P300 means posterior positivity.
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Figure 2. Experimental Paradigm.
Figure 2. Experimental Paradigm.
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Figure 3. Ecofriendly Choice Behaviour by Conditions.
Figure 3. Ecofriendly Choice Behaviour by Conditions.
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Figure 4. Grand mean ERP waveform and topographic maps. Event−Related Potential (ERP) results for frontal and posterior location (17 subject): Grand averaged ERP waveforms on the frontal locations (F6) and the posterior locations (PO3, PO4, PO7, PO8, CP3, POz). The topographical map is shown below the waveform by subtracting the control condition from the climate condition: the frontal negativity (N300: 360–370) and the posterior positivity (P300: 360–370) are greater in the climate-change conditions.
Figure 4. Grand mean ERP waveform and topographic maps. Event−Related Potential (ERP) results for frontal and posterior location (17 subject): Grand averaged ERP waveforms on the frontal locations (F6) and the posterior locations (PO3, PO4, PO7, PO8, CP3, POz). The topographical map is shown below the waveform by subtracting the control condition from the climate condition: the frontal negativity (N300: 360–370) and the posterior positivity (P300: 360–370) are greater in the climate-change conditions.
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Figure 5. Correlation between Brain Waves and Eco−friendly Consumption Choice.
Figure 5. Correlation between Brain Waves and Eco−friendly Consumption Choice.
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Table
Table 1. Previous Research on Moral Consumption.
Table 1. Previous Research on Moral Consumption.
Type of MoralAuthorYearIndependent VariablesModerator and MediatorDependent
Variables		Methodology
(Sample
Size = n)		Findings
Social-access MoralityStern et al. [10]1999Values-Beliefs-Norms Theory Prosocial
behaviour		Survey
(n = 420)		The VBN theory explains the theory of socio-psychological decisions about the acceptance of such norms based on the strong link between environmentalism and individual norms.
Malti et al. [11]2009Moral motivation;
Sympathy		 Prosocial
behaviour		Survey
(n = 1273)		The moderating role of moral motivation in the relationship between compassion and pro-social behaviour was confirmed.
Barbarossa and De Pelsmacker [13]2016Positive altruistic;
positive ego-centric;
negative ego-centric		 Eco-friendly
product purchase intention and behaviour		Survey
(n = 926)		Studies have shown that altruistic motivation is more important to green consumers than non-green consumers. The negative egotistical motivation was confirmed to have a greater influence on the purchase intention of non-green consumers than that of green consumers, while negative motivation had a stronger effect on the behaviour of non-green consumers.
Cavanaugh et al. [14]2015Positive emotions
(i.e., love, hope, pride, and compassion)		 Prosocial
consumption		Behaviour experiment
(n = 176)		The relationship between positive emotions and prosocial behaviour has become too generalized.
Heo and Muralid-haran [15]2019Environmental knowledgePerceived consumer effectiveness,
environmental concern		Ecologically conscious
consumer behaviour		Survey
(n = 283)		The impact of environmental knowledge (EK) on environmental concerns (ECs) can have a positive impact on purchasing behaviour, with marketing messages containing information about relevant environmental issues increasing potential customer concerns.
Chen and Moosmayer [16]2020GuiltSelf-construalEthical
consumption		Survey
(n = 314)		Guilty appeals are effective in stimulating ethical consumption behaviour in Western cultures.
Yan et al. [17]2021Social classPower distance
belief
Dual motivation		Green
consumption		Behaviour experiment
(n = 270)		The effectiveness of the social class on green consumption led by the middle class was revealed.
Pfattheicher et al. [18]2022Altruism Prosocial
behaviour		ReviewThe breadth of pro-social behaviour and the relevant concept of altruism were defined.
Culiberg et al. [19]2022Moral foundationsAnticipated guilt,
personal
responsibility		Anti-consumptionSurvey
(n = 511)		Individual moral bases, perceptions of personal responsibility for environmental problems, and perceptions of guilt can be effective in curbing consumption.
Phenomenal Morality Sinatra et al. [20]2012Climate change message Need for
cognition		Commit to
take action		Survey
(n = 140)		The relationship between cognitive and motivational variables that affect college students’ action behaviour to reduce the impact of climate change was confirmed.
Lee et al. [21]2014Environmentally friendly
product messages		Increased attention and emotional awarenessGreen
consumers		EEG study
(n = 19)		The process of recognizing green product messages confirmed that green consumers have much higher activation of the frontal theta waves than non-green consumers. The frontal theta activation was suggested to potentially affect the cognitive processing process of green consumers in eco-friendly product messages.
Amatulli et al. [22]2019Message framingAnticipated shameGreen
consumption		Behaviour
experiment
(n = 161)		Using negative message frames to promote green products can be effective.
Lee et al. [23]2020Green logoAwareness of environmental issuesSustainable
fashion
consumption		fMRI study
(n = 16)		Pre-exposure to environmental stimulation messages confirmed the brain inference process with increasing preference for fashion products with green logos by increasing brain activation of the superior parietal lobule (SPL) and the bilateral lingual gyri (LG) during communication in relation to green.
Sun et al. [24]2021COVID-19Risk aversionGreen
consumption behaviour		Survey
(n = 99)		Different types of awe can be induced in physical threat situations such as COVID-19 and may not affect green consumption behaviour
Table
Table 2. Definition of ecological consciousness and related constructs.
Table 2. Definition of ecological consciousness and related constructs.
Term (s)Author (s)YearDefinition
Deep ecologyDevall and Sessions [54](1985)Since life-centred ideas apply equally to all living things on Earth, humans are only part of the ecosystem and have no right to destroy other organisms.
Fox. [55](1989)The theory of deep ecology puts nature into focus instead of humans and emphasizes the intrinsic value of nature.
Sarkar [56](2018)An ecological and environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, plus a radical restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas.
Environmental consciousnessAlsmadi [57](2007)It refers to the responsibility to preserve nature and the subjective nature of human attitudes toward natural objects (plants and animals)
Ecology consciousnessWhite [53](2011)Ecology consciousness is a state of mind that is, in turn, defined by a psycho-spiritual connection to nature.
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Yin, M.; Choi, H.; Lee, E.-J. Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption. Sustainability 2022, 14, 15007. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215007

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Yin M, Choi H, Lee E-J. Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption. Sustainability. 2022; 14(22):15007. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215007

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Yin, Meiling, Hanna Choi, and Eun-Ju Lee. 2022. "Can Climate Change Awaken Ecological Consciousness? A Neuroethical Approach to Green Consumption" Sustainability 14, no. 22: 15007. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215007

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