Green illusions: how cultural models shape our perception of environmental sustainability

Abstract

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Consumers often misjudge the environmental impact of mass-market products due to culturally ingrained perceptions rather than objective sustainability criteria. Attributes such as artisanal production, the use of earth-toned labels, and association with small brands are frequently misinterpreted as indicators of environmental sustainability, despite not necessarily having a direct correlation with the product’s actual environmental footprint. This conceptual article explores how cultural models influence consumers’ interpretation of consumer goods products. While existing research attributes the misclassification of green products to individual biases resulting from the use of folk theories or simplified cognitive shortcuts that consumers employ to assess environmental sustainability, this work argues that such theories emerge from shared cultural frameworks, disseminated through media, advertising, and social norms. Drawing on cultural cognition theory and dual-process models, I examine how consumers construct non-declarative cultural knowledge—implicit associations that operate at an unconscious level—to categorize products as green. The misclassification of green products occurs when this unconscious cultural knowledge is mobilized. This phenomenon highlights the cultural resonance of certain symbolic elements aligning with dominant cultural narratives and gain perceived legitimacy among consumers. By reframing the perception of green products as a cultural construction beyond a merely individual evaluation, this article introduces a new interdisciplinary perspective that integrates marketing, psychology, and cultural sociology to better understand judgments about environmental sustainability. This study has practical implications for businesses, policymakers, consumer advocacy groups, and academic institutions. As this is a conceptual study, I propose a series of future research directions.