Identifying Sustainable Population Segments Using a Multi-Domain Questionnaire: A Five Factor Sustainability Scale

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Consumer Behavior Research
• Sociology

Background:

• Understanding consumer sustainability attitudes is crucial for promoting pro-environmental behaviors.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the multifaceted nature of sustainability attitudes.
• Identifying distinct consumer segments based on sustainability attitudes can inform targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a measurement device, the Five Factor Sustainability Scale (FFSS), for assessing sustainability attitudes.
• To identify and profile distinct sustainability segments within a population.
• To explore the relationship between sustainability segments and behavioral/sociodemographic data.

Main Methods:

• Development of the 31-item Five Factor Sustainability Scale (FFSS) based on literature review.
• Application of a factor-cluster segmentation approach on a nationally representative sample (N = 508).
• Profiling of identified sustainability segments using behavioral and sociodemographic data.

Main Results:

• Five key sustainability factors emerged: sustainable spending, skepticism, responsibility, support, and mobility.
• Cluster analysis identified four distinct sustainability segments: Convinced Sustainers, Sustainable Wannabes, Sustainable Non-Believers, and Non-Sustainers.
• Significant differences in behavioral and demographic data were observed across the four segments.

Conclusions:

• The FFSS is a validated tool for assessing multiple domains of environmental sustainability attitudes.
• The identified sustainability segments provide a nuanced understanding of consumer attitudes towards sustainability.
• The FFSS can serve as a valuable tool for designing and evaluating interventions aimed at promoting sustainable behavior change.