Increasing the Proportion of Plant-Based Foods Available to Shift Social Consumption Norms and Food Choice among Non-Vegetarians

Abstract

<jats:p>Increasing the relative availability of plant-based (versus animal source) foods seems promising in shifting consumption, but it remains unknown how and under what circumstances this happens. We performed two availability manipulations including different foods. The impact on food choice, social norm perceptions about what others do (descriptive) or approve of (injunctive), and salience was assessed. Non-vegetarian participants were visually (Study 1, n = 184) or physically (Study 2, n = 276) exposed to (a) four plant-based and two animal source foods or (b) vice versa. Participants chose one food item, either hypothetically (Study 1) or actually (Study 2), and reported the perceived social norms and salience of plant-based and animal source foods. The results showed no direct effects on food choice, injunctive norms, or salience. An increased proportion of plant-based (versus animal source) foods was interpreted in Study 1 as plant-based foods being less often chosen by others, whereas in Study 2, these foods were interpreted as being more often chosen (marginally significant), while animal source foods were interpreted as being less often chosen. The results suggest that a higher availability of plant-based foods influences descriptive norms, but future research should examine aspects potentially contributing to the contradictory normative interpretations (e.g., norm salience).</jats:p>

How physical cues in micro food environments influence consumption: a social norm account

“…Raghoebar, S., Van Kleef, E., & De Vet, E. (2020). How physical cues surrounding foods influence snack consumption: The case of covering foods.…”

“…Specifically, it was shown that this single aspect in the food environment (i.e., the relative availability of particular foods) may be perceived differently, and thereby dictate contradictory conduct, in different situations depending on their specific design and implementation (Raghoebar, Van Kleef, & De Vet, 2020b). This may suggest that signals conveyed by or in connection to available foods are relevant to take into consideration when developing such intervention strategies.…”

“…This chapter is published as: Raghoebar, S.,Van Kleef, E., & De Vet, E. (2020). Increasing the proportion of plantbased foods available to shift social consumption norms and food choice among non-vegetarians.…”

Social contextual influences on unhealthy food consumption : A psychological approach

“…It was demonstrated that the existence of a higher number of fast food outlets in the residential neighbourhood was associated with a higher endorsement of perceived descriptive norms about common fast food consumption in the neighbourhood, as well as with perceived injunctive norms about appropriate fast food consumption in the neighbourhood. In contrast to the smaller-sized physical cues under study in Chapter 2 (or in small-scale lab experiments such as Raghoebar et al (2020), where participants are situated in the moment of food selection), the neighbourhood-level cues are most probably not directly observable for participants at the moment of measurement. Rather, the survey (including the items about perceived neighbourhood social norms) could be completed anywhere (e.g.…”

“…Indeed, a growing body of experimental studies have provided causal evidence of the normative influence of several of these cues. For instance, in one specific study that focused on the availability of products in a food selection display, Raghoebar, Van Kleef, and De Vet (2020) showed that a greater availability of plant-based (versus animal-source) food products resulted in a higher endorsement of perceived descriptive norms about what other people typically chose, although an effect on food selection was not found.…”