A
new study from the University of Kent has provided direct evidence
that people who wish to escape the ‘meat paradox’ i.e.
simultaneously disliking hurting animals and enjoying eating meat,
may do so by denying that the animal they ate had the capacity to
suffer.
By engaging in denial, those participating in the study also
reported a reduced range of animals to which they felt obligated to
show moral concern. These ranged from dogs and chimps to snails and
fish.
The study, the results of which are published in the August issue
ofAppetite, was
conducted by Dr Steve Loughnan, Research Associate at the
University’s School of Psychology, and colleagues in
Australia.
Prior to their study, it was generally assumed that the only
solutions to the meat paradox are for people to simply stop eating
meat, a decision taken by many vegetarians, or the ongoing failure
to recognise that animals are killed to produce meat (although few
people live in true ignorance, some meat-eaters may live in a state
of tacit denial, failing to equate beef with cow, pork with pig, or
even chicken with chicken).
Dr Loughnan explained: ‘Some people do choose to stop eating meat
when they learn that animals suffer for its production. An
overwhelming majority do not. Our research shows that one way
people are able to keep eating meat is by dampening their moral
consideration of animals when sitting at the dinner table.’
Dr Loughnan also explained that, broadly speaking, their study has
shown that when there is a conflict between their preferred way of
thinking and their preferred way of acting, it is their thoughts
and moral standards that people abandon first – rather than
changing their behaviour. ‘Rather than change their beliefs about
the animals’ moral rights, people could change their behaviour,’ he
said. ‘However, we suspect that most people are unwilling to deny
themselves the enjoyment of eating meat, and denying animals moral
rights lets them keep eating with a clear conscience’.
‘The role of meat consumption in the denial of moral status and
mind to meat animals’ (Stephen Loughnan, University of Kent; Nick
Haslam, University of Melbourne; Brock Bastian, University of
Queensland) is published in the August issue of Appetite.
Dr Loughnan is a member of the University’s Leverhulme
Trust-funded Centre for Research on Social Climate.
Contact: [email protected]
Story published at 11:55am 16 July 2010