Meat or not? How framing and time perspective influence our choices
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2025-06-16
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en
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Reducing meat consumption is a key behavioural strategy to reduce climate change. This thesis examines whether message framing, combined with temporal focus, can influence consumers’ choices in favour of a vegetarian meal. Drawing on framing theory, prospect theory, and temporal discounting, the study examines the effect of gain- vs. loss-framed messages, short- vs. long-term consequence framing, and their interaction on meat consumption behaviour. In an online experiment, 239 participants were randomly exposed to one of four message conditions before selecting a hypothetical meal. Both the actual meal choice and self-reported likelihood of choosing a vegetarian meal were examined. The results showed no significant effects of message framing, temporal focus, or their interaction on vegetarian meal choice. However, individual characteristics such as age, gender, sustainability attitudes, and education level were significant predictors of vegetarian meal choice. These findings suggest that message content alone may not be sufficient to change dietary behaviour and that personal values play a more important role. This study highlights the limitations of one-time message-based interventions and encourages future research to explore more personalised and value-based approaches for promoting sustainable eating.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen