PanelDiscussion
2 items
Baetz, B., Buttlar, B., Hirschfelder, G., Horstmann, S. (2025). Grillen, Döner, Currywurst: Warum die Deutsche nicht vom Fleisch loskommen. Deutschlandfunk Lebenszeit Link ↗
RadioBroadcast
[German]
Presentation
[German]
Meat consumption harms animals, the environment, and human health. Due to these issues, many researchers investigate how people can be encouraged to change and adopt meatless diets. To tackle these challenges it is also necessary, however, to understand how people maintain meatless diets. Indeed, many vegetarians and vegans (veg*ans) violate their diets sometimes or revert to an omnivorous diet. In this talk, I propose that cognitive conflicts bring omnivores to change but also make veg*ans violate their diets. In specific, I propose a conceptual model of how attitudinal ambivalence as a cognitive conflict accompanies behavioral change in omnivores and veg*ans. While it is well established that omnivores experience ambivalence if they hold negative associations that oppose their predominantly positive attitude towards meat, we know little about why veg*ans experience ambivalence. My latest qualitative and quantitative research, suggests that many veg*ans still experience ambivalence because their past attitudes do not simply cease when they adopt their new diet: Positive associations towards meat, such as its taste, social role or nutritional value, may still become accessible in various situations. My data shows further that veg*ans who experience ambivalence (especially due to positive social or sensory associations with meat) are less strict in their diet. Thus, veg*ans have to reject past attitudes to adhere to their diet. Based on this, I discuss how veg*ans might reject their past attitudes and outline strategies that animal advocates might use to help veg*ans to establish and maintain negative attitudes towards meat in the long run.
Meat consumption harms animals, the environment, and human health. Due to these issues, many researchers investigate how people can be encouraged to change and adopt meatless diets. To tackle these challenges it is also necessary, however, to understand how people maintain meatless diets. Indeed, many vegetarians and vegans (veg*ans) violate their diets sometimes or revert to an omnivorous diet. In this talk, I propose that cognitive conflicts bring omnivores to change but also make veg*ans violate their diets. In specific, I propose a conceptual model of how attitudinal ambivalence as a cognitive conflict accompanies behavioral change in omnivores and veg*ans. While it is well established that omnivores experience ambivalence if they hold negative associations that oppose their predominantly positive attitude towards meat, we know little about why veg*ans experience ambivalence. My latest qualitative and quantitative research, suggests that many veg*ans still experience ambivalence because their past attitudes do not simply cease when they adopt their new diet: Positive associations towards meat, such as its taste, social role or nutritional value, may still become accessible in various situations. My data shows further that veg*ans who experience ambivalence (especially due to positive social or sensory associations with meat) are less strict in their diet. Thus, veg*ans have to reject past attitudes to adhere to their diet. Based on this, I discuss how veg*ans might reject their past attitudes and outline strategies that animal advocates might use to help veg*ans to establish and maintain negative attitudes towards meat in the long run.