At a Glance
- A new cross-cultural study of nearly 3,800 adults finds that vegetarians consistently prioritize values related to personal power, achievement, and stimulation more than their meat-eating counterparts.
- The research also revealed that vegetarians placed significantly less personal importance on key social values like benevolence, security, and conformity compared to the non-vegetarians in the studies.
- Researchers in the United States and Poland utilized Schwartz’s theory of human values to analyze the underlying psychological motivations of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians across three separate studies.
- While most patterns were consistent, self-direction was a key exception, with non-vegetarians valuing it more in the US while Polish vegetarians placed a higher importance on it.
- The study concludes that choosing a vegetarian diet may function as a powerful statement of individuality and nonconformity rather than a primary act of social kindness.
A new study challenges the common stereotypes associated with vegetarianism, suggesting the choice to avoid meat may be driven more by a desire for individuality than communal kindness. Research spanning the United States and Poland found that vegetarians consistently prioritize values related to power, achievement, and personal stimulation over their meat-eating counterparts. The findings from psychologist John B. Nezlek, published in PLOS One, reframe the motivations behind plant-based diets, pointing to a psychological profile that values independence over fitting in.
Researchers analyzed data from three extensive studies involving nearly 3,800 adults in the U.S. and Poland to understand the core principles guiding these dietary groups. Instead of focusing on surface-level personality traits, the study used Schwartz’s theory of human values. This widely respected psychological framework identifies 10 fundamental values, such as tradition or self-direction, that are recognized across cultures. Participants completed the Portrait Value Questionnaire, which measures the personal importance of these core values by asking them to compare themselves to descriptions of different fictional people. This allowed researchers to map vegetarians’ and non-vegetarians’ underlying motivational structures.
The results revealed a consistent and surprising pattern across all three studies. Vegetarians placed significantly less importance on values of Benevolence, which involves protecting the welfare of one’s immediate social circle; Security, which prioritizes safety and stability; and Conformity, which emphasizes respecting social norms. At the same time, vegetarians endorsed values of Stimulation (a life of excitement and challenge), Achievement (personal success), and Power (social status and control) more strongly than non-vegetarians did. One notable cultural difference emerged for Self-direction, or independent thought, which non-vegetarians valued more in the U.S., while vegetarians valued it more in Poland.
Based on these findings, the study concludes that vegetarianism may function as an expression of nonconformity. By placing lower importance on values that uphold social order and tradition while prioritizing those linked to personal agency and success, vegetarians may be using their diet to define themselves against mainstream norms. This suggests that, for many, the decision to be a vegetarian is less a reflection of a heightened sense of social responsibility and more a powerful statement of personal identity and independence.
References
- Jackson, J. & Phys.org. (2025, May 30). Vegetarianism linked to values of autonomy and non-conformity. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-vegetarianism-linked-values-autonomy-conformity.html
- Nezlek, J. B. (2025). Rethinking vegetarianism: Differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the endorsement of basic human values. PLOS One, 20(5), e0323202. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323202
