Motivação e consumo consciente: contribuições das teorias evolucionistas aplicadas ao comportamento humano

Abstract

Hyperconsumption is responsible for various environmental and social problems. The evolutionary approach can contribute to understanding our consumption behaviors, especially the theory of fundamental social motives. The aim of this research is to investigate conscious consumption, based on the influences of mechanisms from human evolutionary history and individual differences within the current context. Data were collected through an online questionnaire (n=539), and theoretical studies were conducted. This study was divided into 3 articles: 1) "Pro-environmental behaviors and the evolutionary approach: possible paths," 2) "Individual Differences in Fundamental Social Motives in a sample in Northeast Brazil," and 3) "Showing off or taking care? Priorities that interfere with conscious consumption." The first article, a theoretical essay, contributed to gathering the various possibilities of studies using knowledge from the evolutionary approach to understand pro-environmental behavior. The results of the second article found that our motivations can be understood based on universal priorities (family care, group coalitions, and self-preservation) or may vary at certain stages of development, influenced by reproductive priorities (seeking and retaining partners, childrearing), affiliation, and status. It also revealed that socioeconomic status can modulate some motivations, such as self-protection and childcare. The third article found that motives of care and self-protection are important variables for conscious consumption, and that status and reproductive strategies act as hindrances to frugal consumption. In conclusion, this work brings together important findings about the evolutionary foundations of behaviors that either favor or harm the environment.