AI-Based Lifestyle Nudges and Sustainable Consumption in Digital Marketplaces: The Mediating Role of Self-Identity Grounded in Reflexive Identity Theory
Description
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping consumer decision-making in digital marketplaces, yet how such interventions foster sustainable consumption remains unclear. Grounded in Giddens’ (1991) reflexive identity theory, this study tests a partial mediation model in which AI-based lifestyle nudges (ALN) influence sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) both directly and through self-identity (SI). Environmental Identity Strength (EIS), AI literacy, and algorithm aversion (AAV) were tested as first-stage moderators. Survey data from 406 Indian digital marketplace consumers, collected across two waves five weeks apart, were analyzed using PLS-SEM, PROCESS macro (Model 7), fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM), and LIWC-based computational narrative analysis. AI nudges significantly strengthened self-identity (β = 0.312, p < .001), which in turn drove sustainable consumption behavior (β = 0.509, p < .001). Self-identity partially mediated the nudge–behavior relationship (indirect effect β = 0.159, 95% CI [0.110, 0.207]), accounting for 37.9% of the total effect alongside a direct pathway (62.1%). EIS and algorithm aversion showed significant main effects on self-identity, but interaction tests for all three moderators were non-significant and are reported as exploratory. The RI-CLPM established within-person temporal precedence; fsQCA identified four equifinal configurations, including an identity-intrinsic pathway where AI nudges are non-necessary; and LIWC narrative analysis validated self-identity using an India-specific sustainability dictionary. The model explained 45.9% of variance in sustainable consumption behavior. Implications for sustainable marketing strategy, AI-driven platform design, and policy in emerging digital markets are discussed.
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Institutions
- Motilal Nehru National Institute of TechnologyUttar Pradesh, Prayagraj