Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Rationalizing meat consumption
T2 - the 4Ns
AU - Piazza, Jared
AU - Ruby, Matt
AU - Loughnan, Stephen
AU - Luong, Mischel
AU - Kulik, Juliana
AU - Watkins, Hanne
AU - Seigerman, Mirra
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Recent theorizing suggests the 4Ns—that is, the belief that eating meat is natural, normal, necessary, and nice—are common rationalizations people use to defend their choice of eating meat. However, such theorizing has yet to be subjected to empirical testing. Six studies were conducted on the 4Ns. Studies 1a-1b demonstrated that the 4N classification captures the vast majority (83%-91%) of justifications people naturally offer in defense of eating meat. In Study 2, individuals who endorsed the 4Ns tended also to objectify (dementalize) animals and included fewer animals in their circle of moral concern, and this was true independent of social dominance orientation. Subsequent studies (Studies 3-5) showed that individuals who endorsed the 4Ns tend not to be motivated by ethical concerns when making food choices, are less involved in animal-welfare advocacy, less driven to restrict animal products from their diet, less proud of their animal-product decisions, tend to endorse Speciesist attitudes, tend to consume meat and animal products more frequently, and are highly committed to eating meat. Furthermore, omnivores who strongly endorsed the 4Ns tended to experience less guilt about their animal-product decisions, highlighting the guilt-alleviating function of the 4Ns.
AB - Recent theorizing suggests the 4Ns—that is, the belief that eating meat is natural, normal, necessary, and nice—are common rationalizations people use to defend their choice of eating meat. However, such theorizing has yet to be subjected to empirical testing. Six studies were conducted on the 4Ns. Studies 1a-1b demonstrated that the 4N classification captures the vast majority (83%-91%) of justifications people naturally offer in defense of eating meat. In Study 2, individuals who endorsed the 4Ns tended also to objectify (dementalize) animals and included fewer animals in their circle of moral concern, and this was true independent of social dominance orientation. Subsequent studies (Studies 3-5) showed that individuals who endorsed the 4Ns tend not to be motivated by ethical concerns when making food choices, are less involved in animal-welfare advocacy, less driven to restrict animal products from their diet, less proud of their animal-product decisions, tend to endorse Speciesist attitudes, tend to consume meat and animal products more frequently, and are highly committed to eating meat. Furthermore, omnivores who strongly endorsed the 4Ns tended to experience less guilt about their animal-product decisions, highlighting the guilt-alleviating function of the 4Ns.
KW - Meat
KW - Vegetarianism
KW - Rationalization
KW - Justification
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Attitudes
U2 - 10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.011
DO - 10.1016/j.appet.2015.04.011
M3 - Journal article
VL - 91
SP - 114
EP - 128
JO - Appetite
JF - Appetite
SN - 0195-6663
ER -