TY - JOUR
T1 - A communicational approach to enhance open-mindedness towards meat-refusers
AU - Weiper, M.L.V.
AU - Vonk, Roos
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Meat-refusers (vegetarians and vegans) are typically derogated by meat eaters because they threaten meat eaters' moral self-image. In two preregistered experiments (N = 323 and N = 243), we examined the effects of communication style on this ‘do-gooder’ derogation. For this purpose, we developed a paradigm to create moral threat in participants in an online study. Afterwards, participants read an essay of a meat-refuser that was either static, confident, and result-oriented; or dynamic, uncertain, and process-oriented. Dynamically communicating meat-refusers were found to elicit less moral threat and be evaluated as less arrogant than static targets. Regardless of communication, meat refusers with non-moral motives were also evaluated as less threatening and arrogant than ethical vegetarians and vegans. We propose that dynamic communication can improve relations between meat eaters and meat-refusers and, thereby, may eventually inspire meat eaters to decrease their meat consumption in the future.
AB - Meat-refusers (vegetarians and vegans) are typically derogated by meat eaters because they threaten meat eaters' moral self-image. In two preregistered experiments (N = 323 and N = 243), we examined the effects of communication style on this ‘do-gooder’ derogation. For this purpose, we developed a paradigm to create moral threat in participants in an online study. Afterwards, participants read an essay of a meat-refuser that was either static, confident, and result-oriented; or dynamic, uncertain, and process-oriented. Dynamically communicating meat-refusers were found to elicit less moral threat and be evaluated as less arrogant than static targets. Regardless of communication, meat refusers with non-moral motives were also evaluated as less threatening and arrogant than ethical vegetarians and vegans. We propose that dynamic communication can improve relations between meat eaters and meat-refusers and, thereby, may eventually inspire meat eaters to decrease their meat consumption in the future.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85111257799&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105602
DO - 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105602
M3 - Article
SN - 0195-6663
VL - 167
JO - Appetite
JF - Appetite
M1 - 105602
ER -