Abstract:To engage consumers in sustainable purchases,some companies have started to invite consumers to adopt animals or trees(e.g., sheep or orange trees), and consume the products that derive from them(e.g., cheese or oranges). The consumer, in the role of the adopter, takes careof an animal or a tree through monetary support and receives the products inexchange. Building on ethics of care theory, the present research investigateswhether and how framing the sustainable offer as an adoption may increase consumerperceived value of the offer. Preliminary findings of three experiments suggestthat consumers perceive higher value for the sustainable product they adopt,rather than purchase. The psychological mechanism behind this effect isthe increased perception of psychological ownership which in turn elicits acaring mindset. Through further experiments, we will investigate boundary conditions thatmay hinder or amplify this effect.
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