How does moral identity influence standing up behavior in a sample of veg*an participants?

Wünscher, Lisa Emilia (2025) How does moral identity influence standing up behavior in a sample of veg*an participants? Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Individuals with a plant-based diet often find themselves in a “spiral of silence”, in which they hesitate to voice their potentially innovative opinions due to fear of social isolation and conform to the majority. This hesitation to speak up has far-reaching consequences since vegetarians and vegans (veg*ans) can challenge the widely accepted meat-eating norm and have the potential to be drivers of social change. In this study, we examined the possibility that a strong moral identity – which are moral principles that are deeply rooted in one’s self-perception – could make conformity to majority norms less likely. The minority position was represented by individuals with a plant-based diet whereas the majority was formed by individuals claiming to eat meat. Two studies were conducted to test this reasoning; in Study 1 (N = 4), veg*an participants were asked to sign a petition for more veg*an food alternatives after facing a majority of meat-eaters who declined to sign it. In Study 2 (N = 81), a hypothetical online petition was utilized to assess how participants react to a more general statement of opposition. Results showed that moral identity was not significantly related to signing the petition in both studies. Yet, it was revealed that in Study 1 all participants signed the petition and that in Study 2 almost all individuals signed. This raises the possibility that there are other factors influencing this relationship. In sum, this study sheds light on the complexity of majority pressure and the implications of individual differences for prospective social change. Keywords: moral identity, plant-based diet, conformity, standing-up behavior

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Sharpe, E.J.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2025 10:36
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2025 10:36
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4627

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