Masculinity Contingency and Consumer Attitudes Toward Electric Vehicles.

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a new consumer choice option with regard to vehicle purchases. Men, in general, report being interested in purchasing EVs, but traditional masculinity ideology, and in particular masculinity contingency, may be linked to negative attitudes toward EVs and reluctance to purchase EVs. Using data from 400 U.S. cisgender men, this study examined the links between masculinity contingency, EV-attitudes, EV-purchase intention, and viewing EVs as the least-favorable option for a new vehicle purchase. Consistent with hypotheses, masculinity contingency was linked with less favorable attitudes about EVs, lower intention to purchase EVs, and higher likelihood of rating EVs as the least-preferred new vehicle purchase option. The results are discussed in terms of applying masculinities theories to consumer and market research, and in terms of clinical work with men. Public Significance Statement: The study indicates that masculinity contingency, or the degree to which one's self-worth is threatened by threats to masculinity, is linked to decreased consumer preference for electric vehicles. This study highlights the importance of masculinity in understanding consumer choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]