From mostly vegetarian to fully vegetarian: Meat avoidance and the expression of social identity. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rosenfeld, Daniel L.; Rothgerber, Hank; Janet Tomiyama, A.
• Is Part Of: Food quality and preference. Volume 85(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Vegetarianism -- Food choice -- Social identity -- Morality -- Motivation; Food preferences -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Préférences alimentaires -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Qualité -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Qualité -- Contrôle -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade -- Quality control; Food preferences; Food -- Quality; Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.103963
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-3293

Abstract

Highlights: We examined vegetarians (meatless eaters) and flexitarians (low-meat eaters). Flexitarians see their diets as less central to their identity than vegetarians do. Flexitarians are substantially less morally motivated than vegetarians are. Social identity expression predicted flexitarians' openness to going vegetarian. Gender predicted flexitarians' openness to going vegetarian. Abstract: The dichotomous divide between vegetarians and omnivores seems clear: Omnivores eat meat, whereas vegetarians do not. Yet classifying people dichotomously as vegetarian or omnivorous overlooks a distinct group of people who limit their meat intake but still include some meat in their diets: a group of "mostly vegetarian" dieters called flexitarians (a term combining the words, "flexible" and "vegetarian"). Despite the estimated prevalence of flexitarianism in the United States hovering at approximately 20% to 30% of the population, we have little knowledge about how flexitarians construe their food choices. Through a preregistered study ( N = 718), we identified psychological differences between flexitarians and full vegetarians as well as predictors of flexitarians' openness to going fully vegetarian. Across all tests, social identity aspects of meat avoidance emerged as significant factors, over and above what motivations participants reported for avoiding meat. Findings suggest that social identity phenomena offer insights into how meat-avoiders construe not only their current, but also their prospective, food choices.