With so many people becoming distanced from the world of agriculture, what is the best way to bridge the knowledge gap? Studies have shown that video messaging could be a key factor in lessening this gap. This study assessed the perceptions of young adults about animal agriculture and the effectiveness of emotional and cognitive videos featuring local farmers and industry experts to alter perception and build trust in the beef industry. An invitation to participate was sent to 10,000 Auburn University students, and responses were closed after 500 complete responses were received. Participants were directed to a Qualtrics (2022) survey with a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. The questionnaire included opinions on animal welfare, the diet/health of red meat consumers, and environmental/sustainability aspects of the beef industry. After viewing one emotional and one cognitive video, each lasting four minutes, participants retook the survey. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests in SPSS (Version 28). Results showed participants’ views improved by 82% after watching the videos. ATLAS (Series 9) was used to code key positive and negative words in open responses. Participants reported a stronger preference for the emotional video compared to the cognitive video (190 vs. 99, p < 0.05). However, because the videos were always shown in the same order, this finding should be interpreted with caution, as order effects may have influenced participants’ responses.
Locke et al. (Wed,) studied this question.