Sustainable Consumption: an Attempt To Develop a Multidimensional Voluntary Simplicity Lifestyle Scale for Generation Z

Abstract

Minimal living has been a popular theme in various domains such as literature, social media, and architecture. A voluntary simplicity (VS) lifestyle involves reducing material consumption and seeking non-material satisfaction instead. The purpose of this research is twofold: to develop a multidimensional and multi-item attitude scale for measuring university students’ voluntary simplicity (VS) lifestyle and to investigate the general attitudes and behaviors of university students using this new measure. With this purpose in mind, several voluntary simplicity lifestyle scale items are adapted, and a new VS lifestyle scale is developed specifically to Turkish university students. Furthermore, the relationships of specific VS lifestyle dimensions with other variables such as VS behaviors and religious commitment are investigated. Data collected in two phases from 100 and 364 students, respectively, reveal that the VS lifestyle of university students reflects a multidimensional aspect. After purification processes, the scale that is presented in this study consists of four sub dimensions as the Responsible Shopper, the Local Shopper, the Yoda, and the No Media. Taking into consideration the current lack of measurement tools, this new scale is expected to have implications for non-profit organizations, academic researchers, and marketing professionals in developing offerings or research consistent with the lifestyle of university students.