There is a know assumption that people that are more environmentally friendly, drink from reusable cups, don’t use paper, and buy Hybrid cars, are better, selfless, elite.

However, the research below shows that that’s not necessarily the case. It seems that thinking about green stuff and buying green stuff is different. Simply put, people who buy green products cheat, lie, and steal more than people who don’t! The research state that: “mere exposure to green products and the purchase of them lead to markedly different behavioral consequences. In line with the halo associated with green consumerism, people act more altruistically after mere exposure to green than conventional products. However, people act less altruistically and are more likely to cheat and steal after purchasing green products as opposed to conventional products”.

So much for conventional wisdom.

Do Green Products Make Us Better People

The research can be found in Social Science Research Network and will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science.