Pollution exposure ranks among the top five risk factors associated with premature deaths globally (World Health Organization [WHO] 2021a). The WHO estimates that exposure to air pollution exposure alone is responsible for more than 7 million premature deaths each year (WHO 2021b). Only in France, it is estimated that a hundred thousand people die yearly due to air pollution. Solutions to reduce pollution are thus urgently needed to reduce pollution’s negative impact on individuals. Reducing pollution’s harmful effects, however, requires a collaborative effort among policymakers, businesses, governments, and individual behavior changes. This research project primarily focuses on individual behavior, which plays a crucial role in daily exposure to pollution and its consequences (e.g., McCarron et al. 2022). To date, strategies aimed at reducing air pollution have predominantly relied on top-down ‘keep it simple’ approaches, which have achieved limited success. Research in the domain of pro-environmental engagement suggests that factors beyond knowledge—such as perceptions of seriousness and personal susceptibility—are critical for motivating protective behaviors (Lasarov et al. 2019; D’Antoni et al. 2017). Building on this, this research project aims to identify key psychological barriers that might prevent people to adopt less-polluting behaviors: people’s cognitive biases about pollution, and more specifically their biased subjective perception of how polluting certain actions and products are.

Given the limited time, cognitive capacity, and the vast amount of information humans process daily, people rely on mental shortcuts—known as heuristics—to make judgments and decisions more efficiently. However, these heuristics can systematically fail, leading to cognitive biases. Such biases arise from humans’ limited ability to process information. One common way cognitive biases shape behavior is through lay beliefs, which reflect how individuals interpret and make sense of the world (Mukhopadhyay and Johar 2005). Such beliefs can develop through past experiences and/or exposure to belief-consistent information (Yamim, Mai, and Werle 2020). Importantly, they can influence individuals’ judgments and decisions. In this research project, we propose that individuals may associate pollution with visible dirtiness, leading them to underestimate pollution that lacks this attribute. The primary aim of this study is to demonstrate this and other judgment biases related to pollution, as well as to assess their impact on consumer decision-making. Furthermore, by identifying these cognitive biases and their underlying mechanisms, the research will design and test labeling interventions that strategically leverage consumers’ intuitive frameworks to convey the true environmental impact of products. Aligning messages with these mental models can help correct misperceptions, encourage more sustainable consumption choices, and reduce polluting behaviors.

Aligned with GEM’s commitment to promoting sustainable practices, this research has significant implications for policymakers, businesses, and society at large. By uncovering cognitive biases related to pollution, it advances understanding of the psychological factors that drive behaviors contributing to environmental harm—such as increased polluting actions and reduced protective behaviors. These insights are critical for designing effective interventions. For instance, policymakers developing social marketing campaigns should explicitly address these biases to educate the public about the hidden dangers of pollution. Similarly, managers and companies can leverage these findings to optimize service environments and refine marketing strategies that encourage sustainable choices. At the individual level, the impact is relevant as it demonstrates that exposure to pollution and its harmful effects often depend on personal behaviors (Rosário Filho et al., 2021). For example, people frequently underestimate pollution in their homes simply because the space appears clean, even when harmful chemicals are present in the air. Likewise, consumers tend to misjudge the environmental impact of products purchased in a clean state, overlooking the pollution generated during their use. By identifying these misconceptions and testing corrective strategies, this research aims to foster informed decision-making, promote sustainable consumption, and ultimately reduce polluting behaviors.

• Scientific leader : PRUSKI YAMIM Amanda, Consumer Behavior Research Team, Marketing Department
• Associates Researchers : Carolina O.C. WERLE and Robert MAI, Consumer Behavior Research Team, Marketing Department