News

New Publication: Exploring intergenerational differences in consumer acceptance of insects-fed farmed fish

26.03.2024 -

Available free of charge at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105165

 

Trentinaglia, M.T., Adler, M. , Peri, M., Panzone, L., & Baldi, L. (2024). Exploring intergenerational differences in consumer acceptance of insects-fed farmed fish. Food Quality and Preference, 117, 105165.

 

Abstract:

This study delves into the multi-faceted process of consumer acceptance of innovative food products, such as insect-fed farmed fish. This is a food product that introduces new, though potentially conflicting, intangible attributes aligning with circularity and sustainability but also evoking negative emotions, such as disgust or neophobia. Drawing from two distinct studies on young and older Italian consumers, we employ an intergenerational lens to explore individual psychometric characteristics, socio-demographic variables, and nudging effects in shaping the acceptance process. We apply the Campbell Paradigm, integrating three acceptance items into well-established scales measuring attitudes towards the environment and nature.

Our results reveal that environmental protection inclination, rather than a connectedness to nature, primarily drives acceptance. Notably, young consumers exhibit a more facile acceptance process, indicating lower behavioral costs at each stage. Sociodemographic variables, particularly gender, exert varied influences on acceptance stages, with older women displaying greater hesitancy in adopting new dietary practices. Additionally, exploring the impact of nudges, we find that information significantly influences acceptance, while visual priming does not. Interestingly, the effectiveness of information varies between generations, indicating different reactions and responses.

The findings propose strategies for policymakers and marketers to highlight the positive attributes of insects-fed farmed fish, emphasizing sustainability and addressing consumer disgust concerns. Introducing insects as feed in various farming practices may enhance familiarity with this alternative protein source, potentially reducing disgust and fostering widespread acceptance.

 

Highlights:

-Exploring Intergenerational Variances in Acceptance of Novel Foods.

-Socio-Demographic Nuances: Unpacking Influences on Insects-Fed Farmed Fish Acceptance.

-Psychological Drivers: A Rasch Model Analysis of Environmental Attitudes in Novel Food Adoption.

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Interview with tageschau24: Is there really an "Eco Gender Gap"?

21.03.2024 -

Does an "Eco Gender Gap" really exist? Our colleague Juliane Bücker wanted to answer this question for Klimazeit on tagesschau24.

In a reanalysis of the data from the 2018 Environmental Awareness Study published by Bauske et al. (2022) and various of our own data sets, we consistently find a small effect: women have a significantly higher environmental attitude than men.


The program shows many exciting perspectives on gender equality and environmental protection and is available in the ARD Mediathek until 25.03.24.

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New Publication: The gap between urgency and practicability in climate policy - the CO2-price example

20.03.2024 -

Greenhouse gas emissions must be massively reduced. Otherwise, climate change will hit people all over the world severely. However, only a minority is currently supportive of effective climate protection. What can climate policy look like that motivates majorities to protect the climate?

Ronja Gerdes and Florian G. Kaiser write about this in the current issue of the In-Mind magazine.

 

Gerdes, R. & Kaiser, F. G. (2024). Die Kluft zwischen Dringlichkeit und Umsetzbar­keit der Klimapolitik – am Beispiel des CO2-Preises [The gap between urgency and practicability in climate policy - the CO2-price example]. In-Mind, Issue 1, Article 4.

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Invitation: Colloquium with Dr. Michael A. Ranney

23.08.2023 -

We cordially invite you to a joint colloqium with the Department of Environmental Psychology!

Our guest, Dr. Michael A. Ranney, will give a talk with the title "Twelve Brief, Experimentally-Vetted, No-Polarization Ways to Reduce Denial of Human-Caused Global Warming."

  • When? 30th August, 13-15h

  • Where? G22A-113 (OVGU Main Campus)

  • Language: English

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New Publication: A general explanation for environmental policy support: An example using carbon taxation approval in Germany

24.07.2023 -

Available free of charge at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102066

 

Gerdes, R., Bauske, E. & Kaiser, F. G. (2023). A general explanation for environmental policy support: An example using carbon taxation approval in Germany. Journal of Environmental Psycholo­gy, 90, 102066.

 

Abstract:

In democratic societies, public support is crucial for the success of climate change mitigation policies. In this article, we present a parsimonious explanation—grounded in the Campbell paradigm—for explicit approval of environmental policies based on two forces: (a) an individual's commitment to environmental protection (i.e., people's environmental attitudes) and (b) the figurative costs entailed by a specific policy. We tested this model with carbon tax variants and data from German samples from four different sociocultural conditions (Ntotal = 8,166). The results showed that only a minority (36%) were sufficiently committed to environmental protection to approve of a carbon tax regardless of its specific details. Even the most favorable tax level and use of revenue achieved an approval rate of only 48%. Regional differences and interactions among the carbon taxation specifications turned out to be negligible. Overall, our results corroborate the generalizability of the proposed environmental policy support model.

 

Highlights:

-Carbon tax approval originates in people's commitment to environmental protection.

-Policies' attributes (e.g., revenue use) control approval rates as costs and yields.

-Only 36% of people approve of carbon taxation irrespective of the specific details.

-Even the most favorable carbon tax variant achieved an approval rate of only 48%.

-More complex models do not necessarily lead to superior explanation or prediction.

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Last Modification: 26.03.2024 - Contact Person: Webmaster