Der soziale Status prägt den grünen Konsum in einem S-förmigen Muster über alle sozioökonomischen Ebenen hinweg – auf niedrigeren Ebenen des sozialen Status nahm der grüne Konsum allmählich zu. Dieser Trend verstärkte sich im mittleren sozialen Statusbereich. Allerdings stagnierte der Trend bei den Personen mit dem höchsten sozialen Status.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19485506241295406

From the linked article:

Social status shapes green consumption in an S-shaped pattern across socioeconomic levels

A study published in Social Psychological & Personality Science revealed an S-shaped relationship between social status and green consumption, challenging existing models of how social hierarchies influence eco-friendly behaviors.

Green consumption, defined as choosing eco-friendly products and practices, plays an important role in mitigating climate change. Social status has been identified as a key determinant of green consumption, but prior research has proposed conflicting patterns: an inverted U-shape, where middle-status individuals exhibit the highest green consumption; a negative linear relationship, suggesting higher-status individuals are less eco-friendly; and a positive linear relationship, where higher-status individuals consume more green products.

The findings revealed an S-shaped relationship between social status and green consumption, challenging prior theories that suggested linear or inverted U-shaped patterns. At lower levels of social status, green consumption increased gradually, reflecting modest engagement in eco-friendly practices. This trend became steeper among individuals in the middle range of social status, who exhibited a significant rise in green behaviors such as purchasing environmentally friendly products and adopting renewable energy. However, the trend plateaued among those with the highest social status, indicating that green consumption did not escalate indefinitely with increased status.