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Red meat, reactance and political party

Defensive processing of empathy‐based meat reduction appeals

Bibliographic Data

ID9620754
AuthorsHeather Barnes Truelove (0000-0002-1266-0554, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute of Environmental Research and Education University of North Florida Jacksonville Florida USA, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume116
Issue4
Pages1076-1106
Publication date2025-06-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjop.70003
PMID40568796
OpenAlexW4411669828
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited111

Reduction of red meat consumption is urgently needed, but there is concern that meat‐reduction appeals may lead to reactance. Across three studies (total N = 2978), two of which were preregistered, participants were shown a meat‐reduction appeal that was paired with an image that linked meat to its animal origins, a meat‐only image or no image to test whether different message characteristics affected how messages were processed. Results show that reactance mediates the relationship between empathy and meat‐related attitudes and intentions. Additionally, results provide some evidence that Democrats (vs. Republicans) are more likely to have indirect effects of message condition (seeing a meat‐animal association image vs. a meat‐only image or a no image condition) on meat‐related attitudes and intentions through empathy and reactance. Results have implications for the design of meat reduction appeals as they may elicit both empathy and reactance, leading to opposing effects on persuasion

Advertising · Business · Empathy · Fear appeal · Persuasion · Reactance · Red meat · Reduction (mathematics) · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Chemistry · Food Science · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2026 - 2026 (1)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1

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