16 research outputs found
Navigating the discomfort of change: perceptions and experiences of reducing meat and/or dairy consumption
Get PDFAcross three projects, I aimed to explore the role of habits, social norms, and identities in the transition towards reducing oneās meat and/or dairy consumption from a self-control perspective and what other factors promote or hinder reduction efforts. I also aimed to examine perceptions of vegans, through stereotypes and meta-stereotypes about vegans, to examine how these influence peopleās motivation to maintain dietary changes and their experiences of reduction more broadly.
In Chapter 2, I reported a qualitative survey study with 80 meat and/or dairy reducers who predominantly held environmental motives for reducing. Through open-ended questions, I explored the role of habits, identity, and social norms, from a self-control perspective and analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis.
In Chapter 3, I conducted a quantitative survey through two studies to assess whether vegans (N = 200) and reducers (N = 272) hold stereotypes about vegans and believe that omnivores stereotype vegans (meta-stereotypes). I assessed whether meta-stereotypes were associated with vegan identity, veganās outgroup regard of omnivores, and explored the strongest predictor of maintaining a vegan diet. I also examined whether negative meta-stereotypes were associated with the motivation to maintain dietary changes.
In Chapter 4, I analysed responses from five open-ended questions as part of Study 2 of Chapter 3 (N = 272) using reflexive thematic analysis. These questions related to perceptions from participants on the most important barrier to their reduction efforts. Questions also related to perceptions of vegans that participants, and others in their social circle, held, and how these perceptions influenced them or others who are reducing their meat and/or dairy consumption.
Overall, findings from empirical chapters suggest that situational cues triggered conflicting experiences, including motivational, cognitive, and affective conflict. When conflict was detected, this often prompted the need for self-control and motivations to control efforts. Additionally, holding negative meta-stereotypes reflected social polarisation. I did not find evidence that meta-stereotypes were linked to peopleās motivation to maintain dietary changes, yet initial evidence pointed to meta-stereotypes playing a role in choices of identity labels. Finally, I highlighted the complex interplay of factors that underlie reducing meat and/or dairy consumption, from peopleās psychological capability (e.g., self-control) or internal cues (e.g., habits), motivations (e.g., desires and goals that are often incompatible) as well as opportunity from the social or physical environment (e.g., social pressure, availability) that influence avoiding consuming meat or dairy depending on situation in which the behaviour is performed.
In Chapter 5, I reviewed findings from previous chapters, linking my findings to the wider theoretical frameworks in behavioural and identity research, such as grounded cognition theories of desire and motivation as well as the unified model of vegetarian identity. I also suggested practical implications, limitations, and future directions that would support the transition to consuming less meat and/or dairy
Staying Connected: A Toolkit for Effective Groupwork
Get PDFGroup-work is increasingly common in higher education and develops essential graduate skills in collaboration, communication and problem solving, skills commonly sought by employers (Daly et al, 2015). However, the group work process can be challenging for students (Chang & Brickman, 2018; Wilson et al, 2018), and staff face the challenge of supporting groups remotely in the pivot to online learning. Drawing on the outcomes of previous projects (Graham & Pringle Barnes, 2020) and the University group work policy (2018), we worked as a team of UG and PGR students and staff to evaluate current group work resources and develop recommendations to establish which practices are working and where there are gaps in provision. The paper will discuss key findings from this evaluation and present a toolkit we co-created on effective group working in an online learning environment, based on the recommendations. The toolkit comprises videos, activities and student testimonials on group organisation, communication, collaboration, reflection, and seeking support. We sought feedback from UG and PGT students and staff on how the toolkit can support online collaboration and improve the group work experience. We will present our emerging findings, which suggest that the resources are helpful to students in initiating group organization and allocating tasks, and useful to staff in signposting support within their course or programme
Itās easy to maintain when the changes are small: Exploring environmentally motivated dietary changes from a self-control perspective
Get PDFReducing meat and dairy intake is necessary to mitigate the effects of animal agriculture on global warming. Here, we examine the experiences of environmentally motivated meat and dairy reducers. Specifically, we examine whether shifting towards and maintaining sustainable eating behaviours requires self-control. We conducted a pre-registered qualitative online study surveying 80 participants to explore their experiences of reduction, particularly the role of self-control, habits, identity, and social norms. We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and generated three themes. Theme 1 captures participantsā incompatible short-term and long-term motivations, which led to experiences of conflict and required self-control to manage. Theme 2 describes aspects of food and social environments, such as social feedback and food availability, cost, and appeal, that hindered or supported participantsā attempts at reducing meat and dairy intake. This theme also revealed that most reducers did not want to identify with specific dietary groups, particularly flexitarians. Theme 3 captures strategies, varying in effort, that helped participants overcome internal conflicts or challenges from the food and social environment. Examples include avoiding choice situations, or behavioural substitution, which facilitated behaviour maintenance through small and comfortable changes that fit with participantsā taste, skills, and habits. Our findings highlight the need to temper negative social feedback and introduce more availability and favourable social norms to support meat and dairy reduction. Interventions that aim to support the transition to sustainable eating also need to consider the social identities of consumers
āI know it's just pouring it from the tap, but it's not easyā: motivational processes that underlie water drinking
No full textWater drinking behaviour is under-researched despite the prevalence and adverse health consequences of underhydration. We conducted a qualitative exploration into the motivational processes underlying water drinking, informed by a grounded cognition perspective on desire and motivated behaviour. We interviewed and analysed data from 60 participants stratified by age, gender, and education level using thematic analysis, to generate three key themes. āWater as situated habits,ā suggests that participants form and maintain situated water drinking habits, so that within certain situations they regularly drink water. However, participants who situated their water intake only in one key situation (e.g., work routine), had low and inconsistent intake when they left this situation. Some situations happened so infrequently during the day (e.g., before bed) that participants' daily water intake was low. Many participants reported drinking water in reaction to thirst cues, but these were easily suppressed or ignored, so that water drinking was inconsistent. Participants who saw drinking water as part of their self-identity had consistent and high water intake across a variety of situations. āKnowledge and attitudes,ā suggests that few participants had knowledge or attitudes that promoted water intake (e.g., perceived water as positive or understood the importance of hydration). āStrategies underlying attempts to increase intakeā suggests that many participants lacked insight into strategies to increase water intake, although they spontaneously discussed attempts to drink more. This lead to ineffective attempts at behaviour change. Participantsā mentions of dehydration and their responses to a urine colour chart suggested that many participants were possibly underhydrated. Our findings suggest that interventions and practitioners attempting to increase water intake need to increase knowledge about the importance of hydration, and encourage individuals to develop effective situated water drinking habits
Itās easy to maintain when the changes are small: Exploring sustainability motivated dietary changes from a self-control perspective.
No full textReducing meat and dairy intake is necessary to mitigate the effects of animal agriculture on global warming. Here, we examine the experiences of environmentally motivated meat and dairy reducers. Specifically, we examine whether shifting towards and maintaining sustainable eating behaviours requires self-control. We conducted a pre-registered qualitative online study surveying 80 participants to explore their experiences of reduction, particularly the role of self-control, habits, identity, and social norms. We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and generated three themes. Theme 1 captures participantsā incompatible short-term and long-term motivations, which led to experiences of conflict and required self-control to manage. Theme 2 describes aspects of food and social environments, such as social feedback and food availability, cost, and appeal, that hindered or supported participantsā attempts at reducing meat and dairy intake. This theme also revealed that most reducers did not want to identify with specific dietary groups, particularly flexitarians. Theme 3 captures strategies, varying in effort, that helped participants overcome internal conflicts or challenges from the food and social environment. Examples include avoiding choice situations, or behavioural substitution, which facilitated behaviour maintenance through small and comfortable changes that fit with participantsā taste, skills, and habits. Our findings highlight the need to temper negative social feedback and introduce more availability and favourable social norms to support meat and dairy reduction. Interventions that aim to support the transition to sustainable eating also need to consider the social identities of consumers
Meta-stereotypes and their associations with eating motivation and identity among vegans and meat and/or dairy reducers
No full textAlthough plant-based diets are recommended to mitigate climate change, vegans, who implement those diets, are often negatively stereotyped. Here, we examined whether vegans and meat and/or dairy reducers perceive that others stereotype vegans, and whether such meta-stereotypes impact the motivation to adopt or maintain plant-based diets. We assessed stereotypes and meta-stereotypes of vegans among female vegans (Study 1, N = 200) and among female meat and/or dairy reducers (Study 2, N = 272) in the UK, and examined associations with the motivation to maintain dietary change and with identity. We found strong evidence for both stereotypes and meta-stereotypes. Both groups held stronger meta-stereotypes about vegans than stereotypes. Stereotypes were linked to how closely reducers felt to vegans. Among both groups, there was no evidence of an association of negative meta-stereotypes with dietary change maintenance. Meta-stereotypes may reflect social polarisation, and may be relevant to examine for urgently needed societal changes
To stand out or to conform: stereotypes and meta-stereotypes as barriers in the transition to sustainable diets
Get PDFWhat factors hinder the reduction of meat and/or dairy intake? In this study, we explored the perceived barriers that meat and/or dairy reducers experienced when shifting their diets. We particularly focused on how meat and/or dairy reducers were affected by their beliefs about how omnivores stereotype vegans (i.e., meta-stereotypes), as meta-stereotypes have not been previously explored in this context. Through open-ended questions in an online survey, we explored the experiences and perceived barriers among female meat and/or dairy reducers (n = 272), as well as their perceptions of vegans (i.e., stereotypes and meta-stereotypes), and how these perceptions affected their lived experiences. We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis and generated six themes. We highlighted perceptions of cost (Theme 1) and perceptions of health concerns (Theme 2) as the most dominant barriers to the reduction of meat and/or dairy intake. Regarding (meta) stereotypes, participants' perceptions of vegans were shaped by personal experiences and encounters with vegans (Theme 3), and how participants related to vegans was sometimes reflected in the language they used to describe vegans (Theme 4). Participants felt that they, or reducers more generally, were occasionally judged as vegans (Theme 5), which might influence participantsā choices and conformity to eating norms (Theme 6). Meta-stereotypes may play a role in polarised dietary group perceptions, and we discuss how they are shaped by social identity processes as well as by aspects of Western food systems
How (not) to talk about plant-based foods: Using language to support the transition to sustainable diets
No full textStaying Connected: Group work resources
No full textGroup-work is increasingly common in higher education and develops essential graduate skills in collaboration, communication and problem solving, skills commonly sought by employers (Daly et al, 2015). However, the group work process can be challenging for students (Chang & Brickman, 2018; Wilson et al, 2018), and staff face the challenge of supporting groups remotely in the pivot to online and blended learning. Building on the outcomes of previous projects (Graham & Pringle Barnes, 2020) and the University group work policy (2018), we co-created a toolkit on effective group work with students. The toolkit will focus on practical activities to support group work, such as allocating group roles, improving communication and encouraging group reflection. The toolkit equips staff with resources to help address the challenges of group work in their own teaching context, as well as resources to support students to work collaboratively
Eat Well Age Well and Food Train
No full textTo explore the impact of the Food Train service for older adults at
home, as they relate to outcomes spanning nutritional,
physiological, mental wellbeing and social domain
