The Effects of Disgust Messages on Plant-Based Food Choice: Exploring Underlying Processes and Boundary Conditions

Abstract

This study investigated how emotional triggers, such as physical and moral disgust, influence consumers' choice of plant-based foods over meat. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: (a) a physical disgust message emphasizing sensory aversion to meat, (b) a moral disgust message emphasizing ethical concerns related to meat consumption, or (c) a no-message control condition. We examined whether the effect of the physical disgust message on food choice was mediated by hedonism and whether the effect of the moral disgust message was mediated by moral disengagement. In addition, we investigated whether the effect of the moral disgust message varied according to participants' belief in human supremacy. The results showed that the physical disgust message indirectly increased plant-based food choice by reducing hedonism in meat consumption. In addition, the moral disgust message had a conditional effect: it significantly reduced moral disengagement and consequently increased plant-based food choice, but only among individuals with medium and high beliefs in human supremacy. These results illustrate both a broad approach—using physical disgust to influence a wide audience—and a more targeted strategy where moral disgust may be effective for specific ideological profiles. Future research should further investigate whether these messages can be combined and how other psychological factors influence responses to disgust messages.