Reluctant Recyclers: Social Interaction in Responsibility Ascription

Abstract

Duty-orientation implies a warm glow of giving as well as a cold shiver of not giving enough. If duty-oriented consumers learn their moral responsibility by observing others' behavior, social interaction in contribution behavior arises. However, since moral responsibility is a burden, duty-oriented consumers may be less willing to accept responsibility if their information about others' behavior is uncertain. Data from a survey on households' glass recycling indicates that perceived responsibility is a major determinant for reported recycling; that responsibility ascription is influenced by beliefs about others' behavior; and that people are, indeed, reluctant to accept responsibility based on uncertain information.