A license to eat meat? Exploring processes underlying the effect of animal labels on meat consumption

The adverse environmental, health, and animal welfare implications of meat consumption underline the urgent need for reduced meat intake, especially in high-income countries. Past research suggests various processes through which differently valenced animal pictures on meat products might influence consumption. The present study aims to systematically investigate three of these processes – disrupting the dissociation between meat and the animal killed to produce it, eliciting emotions (i.e., empathy, disgust, guilt), and a licensing effect. A power analysis yielded a need for N=1600 omnivores representative for the Austrian population. Participants will be randomized into four conditions (no label, neutral, positive, negative labels on meat products). Meat consumption will be assessed via shopping behavior in a simulated online supermarket. Momentary dissociation, emotions, and licensing cognitions will be assessed and tested in mediation analyses as process variables.