Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

General Human Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Apple, Laurie

Committee Member

Cheramie, Lance

Second Committee Member

Southward, Leigh

Third Committee Member

Robinson, Samantha

Keywords

Consumer Awareness; Fast Fashion; Labor Practices; Price Sensitivity; Purchase Intentions; Sustainability

Abstract

This study examines how consumer awareness of sustainability issues and unethical labor practices influences fast fashion purchase intentions. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and supported by the Symbolic Interaction Theory, the research explores how awareness, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and price sensitive shape consumer decision-making. A quantitative research design was employed using a self-administered online survey distributed via social media platforms. The final sample included 187 participants, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression. Findings revealed that although participants reported moderate to high levels of awareness, this awareness did not significantly predict fast fashion purchasing behavior. Instead, price sensitivity emerged as the only significant predictor. The results also indicate an intention-behavior gap, where consumers express willingness to engage in sustainable consumption but continued to purchase fast fashion at high frequencies. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were not significant predictors of behavioral outcomes. These findings highlight the limitations of awareness-based interventions in promoting ethical consumption and suggest that structural barriers, particularly affordability, play a critical role in shaping consumer behavior. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable fashion consumption by emphasizing the need for strategies that address both psychological and economic factors influencing purchase intentions.

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