Respect for animals and meat consumption: The role of the Big Five personality traits

Abstract

Background: Although positive animal welfare values are often linked to reduced meat consumption, inconsistencies between values and dietary behavior suggest that additional factors may drive this relationship. In the present study, we examined respect for animals and the Big Five personality traits as predictors of meat consumption. Methods: We conducted an online survey with 237 subjects aged 19–68 years, using a questionnaire composed of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, the Composite Respect for Animals Scale, and questions about diet and demographic characteristics. We utilized a Kruskal–Wallis test, Pearson correlations, and logistic regression with interaction effects. Results: Results showed that vegans exhibited the greatest respect for animals and the highest conscientiousness, while omnivores scored lowest for both variables. Openness to experience moderated the relationship between respect for animals and meat consumption: respect for animals was more strongly associated with a meatless diet among individuals higher in openness. Conclusions: These findings suggest that personality traits are related to food choices, and openness may make the adoption of a meatless diet more likely among those who have greater respect for animals. However, respect for animals appears to be one of the most important psychological factors and can be more pivotal in avoiding meat consumption than personality traits.