Does Behavioural Spillover Occur in Urban Sustainable Consumption? Evidence From Switching and Disposal Practices in Malaysia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Urban sustainable consumption has become a critical priority in Malaysia’s transition toward low-impact lifestyles. Yet, a persistent attitude-behavior gap continues to undermine green progress. This study explores how green purchase intention (GPI) translates into broader green actions through behavioral spillover, focusing on green switching (GSB) and green disposal behaviors (GDB). Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm, and Spillover frameworks, the study examines five predictors, attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, environmental concern, and price sensitivity, using data from 263 urban consumers analyzed via SmartPLS 4. Findings reveal that attitude, control, concern, and price sensitivity significantly drive GPI, while subjective norms remain weak. GPI further mediates green purchase behavior (GPB), which sequentially spills over into switching and disposal actions, demonstrating sustainability as a cumulative behavioral chain rather than isolated intent. Although greenwashing (GWS) showed no moderating effect, it highlights consumers’ resilience against deceptive marketing. The study advances theoretical integration of TPB, VBN, and Spillover theories, aligns with SDG 12, SDG 11, and SDG 15, and urges policies that reduce price barriers, enforce marketing transparency, and empower sustained green lifestyles. It is among the first in Malaysia to empirically validate behavioral spillover across the green consumption lifecycle.
Source: F1000Research
Institution: Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,350
OpenAlex ID: W7160263630