Social Dominance Orientation Shapes Perceptions of Eco-friendly Products
J. Colin Long, John D. Pierce, Jr., Ph.D.

Abstract
The present correlational study assessed the influence of social dominance orientation (SDO) on perceptions of an eco-friendly product. SDO, a personality trait describing an individual’s basic preference towards or against social equality and hierarchy attenuation, has been found to affect perceptions of and preferences for commercial products. Previous research uncovered that SDO is negatively correlated with perceptions of fair-trade products, such that those who prefer social inequality perceive fair-trade products to be inferior in quality (Rios, Finkelstein, & Landa, 2015). This study extended recent findings to assess the role of SDO on perceptions of an eco-friendly laundry detergent. Results revealed that individuals who scored higher on the SDO scale (i.e., had higher preferences for social inequality) evaluated the appeal, quality, and performance of eco-friendly products significantly more poorly than those with lower SDO scores. This research extends previous findings that SDO shapes perceptions of fair-trade products (e.g., Rios, Finkelstein &Landa, 2015) into the domain of eco-friendly and green products, and provides a further demonstration of how personality factors can influence affective and cognitive preferences for certain product types.

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