Eco depletion : The impact of hunger on prosociality by means of environmentally friendly attitudes and behavior

The present research investigated the impact of hunger on prosociality in a consumer choice context by means of environmentally friendly attitudes and behavior. Two eye-tracking studies were conducted with hunger measured (Study 1) and manipulated (Study 2). The data were analyzed through bivariate correlations, Pearson's chi-square tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Our findings, based on cross-sectional and experimental evidence from field and lab settings, revealed that hungry consumers express more prosocial attitudes than their satiated counterparts in terms of general environmental concerns and importance ratings of buying eco-labeled products. However, we found no significant difference between hungry and satiated consumers regarding choice likelihood of eco-labeled products or visual attention towards prosocial (organic and sustainable) food options. Implications for retailers and organizations trying to encourage environmentally friendly behavior are discussed