Understanding the intention-behaviour gap in meat reduction
The role of cognitive dissonance in dietary change
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11358591 |
|---|---|
| Authors | David Fechner (0000-0002-7196-7724, Griffith University), Sebastian Isbanner (0000-0001-5842-2407, Technische Universität Berlin) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 214 |
| Pages | 108204 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Appetite (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0195-6663 • E-ISSN: 1095-8304 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108204 |
| PMID | 40543570 |
| OpenAlex | W4411439967 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 73 |
Transitioning to a plant-dominant food system is crucial for mitigating climate change, improving public health, and reducing animal suffering. However, despite growing awareness of these benefits, meat consumption remains high in most developed countries, and many individuals who intend to reduce their meat intake struggle to follow through. This longitudinal study, grounded in the transtheoretical model of change and cognitive dissonance theory, examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the adoption of a vegetarian diet. Findings suggest that cognitive dissonance mediates the relationship between motivations, barriers to meat reduction, and individuals' stage of dietary change. Those who successfully transitioned to a vegetarian diet experienced increased cognitive dissonance alongside a decline in health and feasibility barriers. Conversely, individuals who maintained meat consumption despite their intentions faced heightened feasibility barriers and a weakened perception of plant-based food benefits. These insights can assist policymakers and industry professionals in developing stage-specific interventions that address the psychological and practical challenges of meat reduction, ultimately facilitating a shift towards a more sustainable and ethical food system
Behavior change · Behaviour change · Cognition · Cognitive dissonance · Perception · Psychological intervention · Sociology · Transtheoretical model · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology · Social Psychology
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
Biodiversity conservation
Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement
Experimental manipulations of self-affirmation
Which Healthy Eating Nudges Work Best? A Meta-Analysis of Field Experiments
Information Avoidance
The Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change
Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis
From Intentions to Actions
The theory of planned behavior
Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers
The Psychology of Self-Affirmation
Vegan Men’s Food and Health Practices
The Psychology of Self‐defense
Information Avoidance
Dissociating meat from its animal origins
Building Recovery Capital
The effects of dissociation on willingness to eat meat are moderated by exposure to unprocessed meat
Unpalatable truths
Going veggie
Explaining intention to reduce red and processed meat in the UK and Italy using the theory of planned behaviour, meat-eater identity, and the Transtheoretical model
Too close to home. Factors predicting meat avoidance
Towards a reduced meat diet
Similarities and differences between vegetarians and vegans in motives for meat-free and plant-based diets
Goal-framing theory and sustainable food choices
Rationalizing meat consumption. The 4Ns
Identifying barriers to decreasing meat consumption and increasing acceptance of meat substitutes among Swedish consumers
Gradual behaviour change towards meat reduction revisited
Meat-related cognitive dissonance
Animals are friends, not food”
Experiences of initiating and maintaining a vegan diet among young adults
Increasing meat-free meal selections
When vegetarians eat meat
Meat eaters by dissociation
How do you choose your meal when you dine out? A mixed methods study in consumer food-choice strategies in the restaurant context
Gradual behaviour change towards meat reduction
How to entice restaurant patrons to order low-emissions meals? A meta-analysis and research agenda
The role of meat consumption in the denial of moral status and mind to meat animals
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
Identifying segment-specific barriers to ordering environmentally sustainable plant-based meat dishes in restaurants
Resolving the Meat-Paradox
Becoming vegan
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |