Abstract
Dietary choices reflect deeper sociocultural values. This study examines how traditionalist value orientations influence resistance to plant-based diets in China. Drawing on Meat-related Cognitive Dissonance, this study proposes that individuals who seek to preserve their food identity and lifestyle are more likely to engage in moral disengagement when exposed to ethical concerns about meat consumption, which lowers their intention to adopt plant-based diets. This research addresses a gap in transition to more sustainable consumption, which have rarely incorporated cultural and value-based contexts. The study further provides insight into the challenges and opportunities of promoting plant-based diets in China. Data were collected from a western region with strong food traditions (n = 168) and an eastern region with greater dietary diversity (n = 120) in China. Participants completed measures of value orientation, moral disengagement, and dietary intention, and were exposed to negative information related to meat. Bootstrap-based mediation analysis was conducted for each region. In western China, traditionalist orientation significantly predicted lower plant-based diet intention via moral disengagement (β = -0.27, 95% CI [-0.42, -0.14]). No significant effect was found in the eastern sample. In western China, where food traditions and identity are deeply embedded, individuals may rely more on psychological defense mechanisms, which shape their resistance to novel (plant-based) dietary practices. It offers strategies for promoting plant-based diets in diverse Chinese settings, emphasizing the importance of reframing plant-based narratives in symbolically loaded environments to enhance cultural fit, which can be implemented in other similar contexts globally.
Presenters
Yuanke ZhouStudent, Master of Science, National University of Singapore, South West, Singapore Zhiyuan Wang
Student, Bachelor of Management, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, China Fanyue Zeng
Student, Bachelor of Management, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, China
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Traditionalist orientation; Moral Disengagement; Cognitive Dissonance; Plant-Based Diet; Cross-Cultural Comparison
