STUDY: Reducing meat consumption, messaging that works
Health and environmental messaging are both effective at reducing peoples’ meat consumption. Using social media platforms to deliver short, simple communications, coupled with a specific behavioral ask, may be one way to do just that.
SARA STREETER: While the public is aware of the health risks associated with eating meat, the impacts of meat production on climate change are less well known. Information campaigns can be effective in changing peoples’ intentions. But changes in attitudes don’t always translate to changes in actions. To overcome this issue, researchers in this study tested the effectiveness of two types of messaging to see if they could change meat-eating behavior. Messages were either health-related, or stressed the negative environmental effects of eating meat. They also examined whether such messaging created behavioral spillover, where eating less meat led to more pro-environmental behaviors or an increased pro-environmental identity.
A total of 320 students at a U.K. university took part in a two-week behavioral intervention, and all subjects indicated they ate meat at least three times a week at the start of the study. Students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: one group received information about the health impacts of eating red and processed meat; another heard about the environmental effects of consuming meat; a third group received both types of information — members of these three groups were asked to reduce their red and processed meat consumption to twice a week for the two-week intervention period; and the control group received no information on these topics, and were directed not to change their diet…
Participants that received one or both types of information reduced the amount of meat eaten by a significant amount, and the size of the effects was similar regardless of whether a subject received health, environmental, or both types of information, though the combination may have been slightly more impactful. A significant reduction in meat-eating even remained one month later…
Animal advocates can gain valuable insights from this study. Health and environmental messaging are both effective at changing peoples’ behavior. And while we want to change hearts and minds, we most want to change everyday actions. Using social media platforms to deliver short, simple communications about the benefits of eating less meat, coupled with a specific behavioral ask, may be one way to do just that. SOURCE…
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