Green skepticism and need for cognition moderate the effect of green claim presentation format on perceived product credibility and environmental friendliness
(A2026-134561)

AUTHORS

�gnes Buv�r, ELTE E�tv�s L�r�nd University; Mirk� G�ti, Corvinus University of Budapest; Zombor Berezvai, Corvinus University of Budapest; Andrea Dúll, Institute of People–Environment Transaction - ELTE PPK

ABSTRACT

Consumers are increasingly interested in environmentally friendly products, and product packaging is frequently used to communicate environmental information through eco-labels and written claims. However, greenwashing practices foster consumer skepticism toward environmental communication. Green ad skepticism is associated with poorer persuasion outcomes, and additional informational does not necessarily offset this negative effect. Building on this framework, we propose that detailed environmental information may attenuate the negative effect of skepticism among consumers high in need for cognition. A 2 (eco-label presence: control vs. present) × 3 (text presence: control vs. short claim vs. long claim) online experiment was conducted using three different environmental claims across three product categories in a demographically diverse sample (N = 2000). Results from linear mixed-effects models supported our hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.