ABSTRACT
Household consumption in the Netherlands has increased substantially since 1950. Many household activities have been mechanized, and more and more goods for personal development and entertainment have been produced and consumed. In this chapter we examine the factors underlying this increase in consumption, focusing on the Needs, Opportunities, and Abilities of consumers, following the NOA model. From a historical analysis of changes in Dutch household consumption, it appears that the opportunities to consume constitute an important factor. Because of increased opportunities, people increasingly satisfy their needs through consumer behavior. We have conducted a diagnostic and evaluative field study to examine the importance of the abilities and the needs components, and to evaluate household consumption patterns in terms of their environmental impacts. It is shown that the ability and the opportunity to consume are the most important factors underlying Dutch consumer behavior. When people possess a particular good it soon becomes a necessity to their household, which means that they are not willing to give it up. Household goods obviously contribute to the respondents’ quality of life, by satisfying several needs. To the extent that goods are more important to them, respondents are less willing to change their behavior. The Dutch are well aware of the environmental impacts of their own behavior, although this has little effect on their willingness to change.
