The Taste of Moral – Influence of ethical and moral values on the perception of taste and liking of products
General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
Final Report Abstract
The project “The Taste of Moral” took a closer look at the degree of a person’s morality as a social-psychological variable in connection with the Marketing Placebo Effect (MPE). The MPE refers to the effect of marketing measures that influence product perception without changing the product in its physical characteristics. This project investigated the MPE for meat (pork minute steaks), using the German label for livestock farming conditions as a marketing placebo. The aim was to show whether and how the psychophysiological perception of taste and liking change depending on the label and the moral values of the individuals. Accordingly, the research question was: Does a person's morality moderate the MPE, and can differences on a social-psychological basis explain variance in this effect? To answer this question, a double-blind tasting study was conducted as a controlled, sensory laboratory experiment, whereby a possible influence by objectively measurable differences in product characteristics and other experimentally induced confounding factors were excluded. Therefore, a difference in product perception can only result from a change in expectations towards the products in which moral values are considered. It can be confirmed by the results that the label has a robust influence on the taste perception of meat. In all hedonic evaluation criteria as well as in the direct comparison of the product samples, the MPE could be identified, whereby products that indicate higher animal welfare standards through the label are preferred and evaluated better than products that indicate livestock farming conditions according to minimum legal standards. In addition, individualized morality, especially with regard to the welfare of others, was identified as a moderator for the psychophysiological perception of meat. Morality was quantified by two theories of moral development and moral foundations. The more highly developed the morality, the less strong is the MPE. It is suggested that the MPE decreases with increasing expectancy through the label, and that the level of morality reinforces this increase in expectancy. This research project does not only contribute to marketing placebo research by introducing another socio-psychological factor into this field. Moreover, the research project also explains societal developments regarding meat consumption in general. Animal welfare seems to be able to lead to altered sensory liking, even when differences in product characteristics and experimental confounders are excluded. Morality appears to significantly influence this perception, which can provide valuable insights on how morality, animal welfare, and hedonic value are connected.
Publications
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Taste of Moral – Influence of Moral Values on Taste Expectations. Proceedings of the European Marketing Academy Conference (EMAC) Annual Conference 2023.
Harms, R., Diehbach, S. & Gier, N.R.
