Vegetarians vs meat-eaters: How do their basic human values differ?

Values such as Benevolence, Security, and Conformity are less important for vegetarians than they are for those who eat meat; instead, vegetarians value Stimulation, Power, and Achievement more than non-vegetarians do. This is not entirely consistent with the common perception of vegetarians, according to a study by a researcher from SWPS University, conducted among adult Poles and Americans. The paper on this topic was published in the prestigious journal PLOS One.

Interest in vegetarianism has increased dramatically in the past few decades^[1], sparking a debate about relationships between this practice and specific values. However, most research to date has focused on the relationship between vegetarianism and specific beliefs, such as orientation towards social dominance and ethical treatment of animals. This topic has rarely been explored more broadly.

The study of values has a long history in psychology. The new study utilised the widely used Schwartz model^[2] that conceptualises basic human values in terms of 10 values. These values include Benevolence, Achievement, Security, Power, and Self-direction.

Diet and values

The comparison of the values endorsed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians was conducted by social psychologist John B. Nezlek, PhD, a professor at SWPS University, from the Center for Climate Change and Social Transformations, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University, and the Department of Psychological Sciences, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, Virginia, the United States. Participants described their diets in a way that provided a basis to categorise them unambiguously as vegetarians or non-vegetarians. They also reported their values in terms of the Schwartz model typology.

Professor Nezlek assumed that vegetarians would endorse the values of Universalism more strongly than other individuals, as it encompasses environmental protection issues, and ecological concerns are often attributed to vegetarians. He also predicted, among other things, that vegetarians would endorse Tradition and Conformity values less strongly, as vegetarianism is not traditional within most Western contexts.

Three survey studies were conducted: one in the United States (1,044 participants) and two in Poland (636 and 2,102 participants). In all three studies, the majority of participants were women and non-vegetarians. The results were published in PLOS One, in the paper "Rethinking vegetarianism: Differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the endorsement of basic human values”.

Success and power matter to vegetarians

Across all three studies, Benevolence and Security were significantly less important for vegetarians than they were for non-vegetarians. Stimulation, Achievement, and Power values were clearly more important. The difference for Conformity was only marginally significant in the US study but it was clearly significant in both Polish studies. The situation was similar with Tradition values. Vegetarians endorsed the latter two values less strongly than non-vegetarians, Nezlek described.

These results suggest that people who adopt a vegetarian diet are independent thinkers who are not afraid to "march to the beat of a different drum". Still, they are a minority in many countries, including the countries in which the new studies were conducted. Their rejection of a diet practiced by the majority may be perceived as an attempt to reject common values, which, in extreme cases, can be considered a threat to a traditional lifestyle. In the face of such criticism, vegetarians need to remain committed and hold their beliefs strongly. This strength is reflected in the fact that vegetarians view their diets as a more important part of their sense of self than omnivores do. The results suggest that adopting a vegetarian diet is characterised by a strong commitment and a de-emphasis on conforming to existing norms, the social psychologist believes.

According to the author, this is the first study to compare the basic human values of vegetarians and non-vegetarians in different cultural groups. The question remains whether these results might generalise to other cultural groups, e.g., South or Latin America or Asia. It is also important to consider if, and how, these values might contribute to the adoption of a vegetarian diet.

^[1] Salehi G, Díaz E, Redondo R. Forty-five years of research on vegetarianism and veganism: A systematic and comprehensive literature review of quantitative studies. Heliyon. 2023;9(5):e16091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16091 PMID: 37223710

^[2] Schwartz SH. Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: Zanna MP, editor. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press; 1992, 1–65