The effect of social norms on vegetarian choices is moderated by intentions to follow a vegetarian diet in the future: Evidence from a laboratory and field study

Abstract

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Social norms could be a tool in dietary transition toward more sustainable diets, but the results of social norms interventions aimed at encouraging the selection of plant-based foods to date have been inconsistent. One reason for this might be because there are important moderating factors that have yet to be investigated. Here we examine social modeling of vegetarian food choices and test whether modeling is dependent upon individual intentions to follow a vegetarian diet in the future in two different settings. In a laboratory study of 37 women, participants with low intentions to become a vegetarian consumed fewer plant-based foods in the presence of a vegetarian confederate, compared to eating alone. In an observational study of 1,037 patrons of a workplace restaurant, participants with a higher score of on vegetarian intentions had a greater likelihood of taking a vegetarian main course or starter, and a vegetarian social norm was associated with a greater likelihood of a vegetarian choice for the main course but not for the starter. These data suggest that participants with low intentions to follow a vegetarian diet may exhibit reactance against an explicit vegetarian norm in an unfamiliar context (as in Study 1) but that general norm following regardless of dietary intentions be more likely when it is conveyed implicitly in a familiar context (as in Study 2).

Keywords

• food behavior change
• vegetarian choices
• social norms
• intentions
• moderator