Maybe I Can’t Cook, but It Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Care: Moral Framing and Private Criticism of Meat Consumption Leads to Psychological Defensiveness

Meat consumption contributes to climate change and has become a moralized issue. People may face moral criticism for meat consumption. Building on the central role of morality in person evaluation, this research tested the hypotheses that moral (vs. competence) and public (vs. private) criticism received online would elicit greater defensiveness among meat-eaters. Study 1 ( N = 307) supported the hypothesis that moral criticism heightened defensive responses (e.g. sensitivity, derogation, and avoidance). Study 2 ( N = 316) showed, unexpectedly, that private criticism led to greater defensiveness, potentially due to its “personal” nature. Further analysis revealed that the effects of moral framing and private criticism were mediated by perceived moral devaluation. Defensive responses were also generally stronger among individuals higher in narcissistic rivalry. In addition, perceived moral devaluation predicted lower intention to reduce meat consumption. Public messaging aimed at reducing meat consumption should avoid moral framing and personal-sounding negative feedback to minimize defensive responses.