Identity processes and food choice: predictors of dietary lapses among ethical and health vegans

Markowski, Kelly L.

doi:10.1080/00224545.2022.2105194

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…From a psychological perspective, it is important to address not only behavioral but also motivational and cognitive variables of the matter in question. Generally, eating behavior is a central part of peoples’ identity ( Rosenfeld and Tomiyama, 2019 ; Markowski, 2023 ) and is subject to many motivational, cognitive, and affective processes. Regarding motivational processes, there are many similarities between vegans and vegetarians, and common motivations including health, the environment, and animals ( Baroni et al, 2007 ; Janssen et al, 2016 ; North et al, 2021 ; Weber and Kollmayer, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese

Mayrhofer,

Roberts,

Hackl

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionAlthough vegan and vegetarian diets and lifestyles differ significantly from each other, among other things, notably in their respective consequences regarding animal welfare and their ecological impact, vegans and vegetarians are often grouped together and usually compared to omnivores in psychological research. Considering that vegans and vegetarians often share similar motives for their lifestyle choices, namely animal and environmental issues, the question arises why similar motives lead to different conclusions and correspondingly different behaviors, most notably, of course, that vegetarians consume animal-derived foods such as cheese or milk while vegans do not consume animal-derived products (e.g., food, cosmetic products). This is why this study explored the psychological differences between vegans, vegetarians, and prospective vegans – the latter group being located in an intermediate, transitionary position. Focusing on the motivational, affective and cognitive components of dietary transition and participants’ adherence to eating patterns, reasons for said patterns, possible hinderances to becoming vegan, the role of participants’ social environments, and the impact of various misconceptions regarding the feasibility of a vegan diet in everyday life were all explored.MethodsAn observational study was conducted via online questionnaire (1420 participants).ResultsSignificant differences were found between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians, especially concerning their knowledge of issues pertaining to their respective lifestyles.DiscussionThe critical role of knowledge is invoked as an explanation as to why vegans and vegetarians display different behaviors although they share a similar motivation. Thus, in this study the concept of vegan literacy is introduced. Additionally, the distinctive role of cheese is explored, discussing possible indications of its potentially addictive nature and, consequently, the importance of cheese as a hindering factor for pursuing a vegan diet.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese

Mayrhofer,

Roberts,

Hackl

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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“…One way to overcome the problem of burnout is to build a strong community around the shared group identity. While vegans share a social category membership with other vegans (Judge et al, 2022;Markowski, 2022), they are in the societal minority and may be atomised socially and geographically -potentially not knowing, or regularly encountering, other vegans in their everyday lives (Buttny & Kinefuchi, 2020). Connecting with other group members is important to the enactment and Mass-gatherings rekindle identity and activism consolidation of identity (Hopkins & Reicher, 2017), and provides a sense of belonging and solidarity which can enhance wellbeing and mitigate the effects of stress and burnout (Haslam et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overcoming (vegan) burnout: Mass-gatherings can provide respite and rekindle shared identity and social action efforts in moralised minority groups

Prosser¹,

O’Neill²,

Whitmarsh³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Minority actors can play an important role in social change processes, by refuting the majority social norm and modelling alternative pathways for society. However, acting in the minority can be difficult, and minority actors may encounter several obstacles on their path to social change. These obstacles might become so great that they experience ‘activist burnout’ and social isolation from their practices and may stop acting in pursuit of social change altogether. Here, we explore an event-based intervention that may encourage and help maintain minority-driven social change in the environmental context. Through on-site field interviews at an identity-centring event, we outline how ‘The Vegan Campout’, acts to validate and empower vegans to act in pursuit of social change. Our analysis demonstrates that the Vegan Campout functioned as a space where vegan identity, food and action was centred and celebrated. It was an important space for vegans to gain strength and ‘rekindle’ their vegan and activist identities and their activism efforts. Overall, these interviews show how attending an identity-centring event is an empowering experience for moralised minority groups working towards social change, which might protect their mental health, and bolster collective efficacy and motivation to engage in activism in the future.

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Vegan Stigma

Markowski

2024

The Plant-Based and Vegan Handbook

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Identity processes and food choice: predictors of dietary lapses among ethical and health vegans

Cited by 5 publications

References 58 publications

Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese

Psychological differences and similarities between vegans, prospective vegans, and vegetarians. Motivation, knowledge, vegan literacy – and cheese

Overcoming (vegan) burnout: Mass-gatherings can provide respite and rekindle shared identity and social action efforts in moralised minority groups

Vegan Stigma

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