Chapter 4: Bridging the Attitude–Behavior Gap in Green Marketing: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Psychological and Environmental Influences

This study investigates the attitude–behavior gap in green marketing by examining the discrepancy between consumer attitudes and actual purchase behavior toward green products. Applying the theory of reasoned action (TRA), we analyze how attitudes and subjective norms impact behavioral intentions and extend the TRA framework to include additional psychological variables: perceived environmental awareness, green trust, pro-environment self-identity, and environmental concern. Using a convenience sample of 345 college students and analyzing the data through structural equation modeling (SEM), we find that environmental concern is the strongest predictor of green purchase actions, followed by subjective norms. Attitudes toward green purchasing have a positive but lesser impact while green trust has a modest effect. Self-identity positively influences green purchase actions whereas environmental awareness alone does not significantly impact purchasing behavior. These findings underscore the critical role of environmental concern and social norms in driving green purchasing decisions and provide insights for enhancing green marketing strategies.