Speaking of Psychology
Meat and morality: Will people eat lab-grown meat? With Matti Wilks, PhD, and Daniel Rosenfeld, PhD
Apr 16, 2025
Matti Wilks, a psychology lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and Daniel Rosenfeld, a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA, delve into the psychology behind dietary choices, particularly regarding lab-grown meat. They explore how moral values, disgust, and societal perceptions influence consumer acceptance. The discussion touches on the potential environmental benefits of cultured meat, ethical dilemmas in traditional meat production, and surprising gender dynamics in meat consumption preferences. Their insights reveal the complex interplay between personal beliefs and food choices.
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Quick takeaways
- Psychological barriers like disgust and moral values heavily influence consumer reluctance towards regularly incorporating lab-grown meat into diets.
- To gain acceptance, cultured meat producers must emphasize personal benefits like taste and convenience while addressing consumer concerns.
Deep dives
Understanding Cultured Meat
Cultured meat, distinct from conventional and plant-based options, is produced by growing animal cells without the need to slaughter animals. This innovative process involves taking a biopsy from a living animal and cultivating it to create actual animal tissue that mimics the taste and texture of traditional meat. Although it has not yet reached widespread commercial availability, early studies show that cultured meat holds the potential to reduce animal suffering significantly, as it eliminates the need for factory farming. There is ongoing debate about its production and feasibility, with challenges related to cost and scalability being critical factors influencing its market introduction.
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