The role of personal traits in attitudes toward plant-based meat substitutes

The demand for plant-based alternatives to meat is growing because of the impacts of livestock on the environment. This paper examines how customers’ personal traits (the degree of need for uniqueness and self-monitoring) influence their value-expressive and social-adjustive attitudes towards plant-based meat substitutes. It also considers the role of customers’ demographic characteristics in the relationships among these traits and attitudes. A self-administered survey was used to collect data from consumers of plant-based meat substitutes in the United States. Data from 172 customers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that both the need for uniqueness and self-monitoring have significant positive influences on both value-expressive and social-adjustive attitudes. To examine the differences in customer behaviour across demographic characteristics, participants were assigned to subgroups of men and women, young adults (aged 19–39 years) and older adults (ages 40–50 + years), and low-income (< $59,999) and high-income ($60,000+) earners. Multi-group analysis found that the effects of self-monitoring on attitudes were significant only among men, young adults, and low-income customers. The relationships between traits and attitudes thus varied according to demographic characteristics. These findings will help marketers of plant-based meat substitutes segment their efforts according to the demographic characteristics of their customers.