Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Date of Submission

2026-06-03

Advisor

Dr. Anum Tariq, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Committee

Dr. Anum Tariq & Miss Hajrah Rahman

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Lexical Framing, Green Self-Concept (GSC), Greenwashing Perception (GWP), Pakistani Fashion Retail, Sustainable Advertising, Pakistani Advertising

Abstract

As global environmental consciousness increases among individuals, advertising language has become a crucial tool for communicating sustainability. However, vague claims often result in consumer skepticism, known as "Greenwashing Perception" (GWP), especially in emerging markets like Pakistan where sustainable discourse is newly evolving. Hence, the Pakistani market is still maneuvering its historically fraught nature with misleading narratives. This thesis investigates how lexical framing strategies, specifically abstract versus concrete, influence consumer perceptions of brand authenticity, purchase intention, and Green Self- Concept (GSC) in the Pakistani fashion retail sector. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Schema Activation Theory, and Cooperative Principle and Green Self-Concept Theory, this study adopts a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design. Phase 1 utilises a quantitative survey (n=110) to measure the impact of lexical frames on GWP and GSC among Pakistani consumers aged 18-30. Phase 2 involves semi-structured group interviews (n=20) to explore the cognitive and emotional factors behind these perceptions. The research contrasts the linguistic strategies of global brands (e.g., Zara) with local Pakistani brands (e.g., Sapphire) and their initiatives, such as Khaadi’s “Green Hub” and Sapphire's “Seed Bags”. By doing so, this research aims to identify which lexical frames effectively build trust and which trigger skepticism. Existing research, including Bibi et al. (2025) on greenwashing’s influence on purchase intention, does not address abstract versus concrete framing in South Asian retail contexts. This thesis thus fills a critical gap in psycholinguistic and consumer behaviour literature by empirically and theoretically testing contemporary lexical framing strategies within the Pakistani cultural context.

Pages

108

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