Study Finds Plant-Based Meat Labels Affect Men's Perceptions of Masculinity

The environmental impacts of animal farming and associated ethical and health concerns have prompted interest in plant-based meat alternatives, which are designed to mimic the taste and texture of real meat. Nevertheless, many individuals remain resistant, with research indicating that this resistance often correlates with gender. For instance, a 2024 study reported that vegetarianism has increased among women over the past 15 years, while the rates among men have stagnated.

Researchers attribute this resistance to the cultural symbolism of food, noting that meat is often subconsciously associated with masculinity. A study from 2012 demonstrated this association across various cultures, indicating that abandoning meat can lead individuals to perceive a loss of status. A 2023 paper further articulated this idea, suggesting that giving up meat may threaten a man's sense of masculinity.

The link between dietary choices and broader social dominance beliefs has also been highlighted. A 2020 study found that hostile sexist attitudes are connected to the idea that humans should dominate animals and nature. Hostile sexism is characterized by negative attitudes toward women and femininity, often implying women’s inferiority to men.

Kristof Dhont, a psychologist at the University of Kent, emphasized that significant evidence points to the cultural connection between meat and masculinity, which affects perceptions of vegetarians and vegans, especially men. Dhont’s team aimed to explore whether these associations extend to perceptions of plant-based alternative labels.

To investigate, researchers, including Alina Salmen, conducted two experiments. The first involved 216 UK university students who viewed identical images of food—labeled either as “regular meat,” “plant-based meat,” or “cultured meat.” Participants rated the dishes on appeal, expected taste, smell, and perceived masculinity. The results showed that the plant-based label was associated with lower masculinity ratings and negatively influenced overall evaluations, particularly among individuals with higher scores of hostile sexism.

In the second experiment, a larger sample of 1,182 meat-eating adults in the U.S. reiterated these findings. Here, participants also expressed a desire to distance themselves from dishes labeled as plant-based, and ratings again reflected a significant drop in evaluation compared to regular meat.

The researchers found that a plant-based label leads to lower perceptions of masculinity, which influences individuals' willingness to associate with and evaluate the dishes favorably. This effect was notably stronger in participants who endorsed hostile sexist views. Dhont pointed out that both male and female participants exhibited these patterns, suggesting that hostile sexism shapes food perceptions across genders.

Despite the clear effects observed, researchers cautioned that the study primarily measured perceptions rather than manipulating masculinity in a controlled fashion, leaving a gap in definitive causal conclusions. Future research is needed to explore how the findings might translate into real-world eating and purchasing behaviors.

The implications for promoting plant-based diets could involve marketing strategies that resonate with contemporary ideals of masculinity. Dhont advocates for a reevaluation of the symbolism associated with plant-based products to enhance acceptance.

The study, “Masculinity Perceptions and Hostile Sexism Shape Evaluations of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives,” was co-authored by Salmen, Nadira S. Faber, Victoria C. Krings, and Kristof Dhont.