The more, the better? The sustainable additive bias
(A2026-133940)

AUTHORS

Linda Lemarié, Audencia; Diletta Acuti, University of Bath; Marta Pizzetti, emLyon Business School; Giampaolo Viglia, University of Portsmouth

ABSTRACT

We introduce the sustainable additive bias, a cognitive bias whereby consumers undervalue the environmental benefits of removing additional features (e.g., fewer hotel amenities), favoring instead additive solutions. Across four online experiments and one field study, we show that consumers perceive companies as more sustainable when they add rather than subtract eco-features, even when subtraction is more effective. This bias leads to increased waste (Study 4) and is driven by whether the feature is a prototypical symbol of sustainability (Study 5). Our findings reveal how sustainability cues can mislead judgment and offer practical insights for encouraging truly sustainable decision-making.