Deliberate ignorance-a barrier for information interventions targeting reduced meat consumption?

OBJECTIVE

Despite abundant information about negative consequences of consuming meat, consumption in many Western countries is many times higher than recommended. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is that people consciously decide to ignore such information-a phenomenon called deliberate ignorance. We investigated this potential barrier for information interventions aiming to reduce meat consumption.

METHODS

In three studies, a total of 1133 participants had the opportunity to see 18 information chunks on negative consequences of meat consumption or to ignore part of the information. Deliberate ignorance was measured as the number of ignored information chunks. We assessed potential predictors and outcomes of deliberate ignorance. Interventions to reduce deliberate ignorance (i.e., self-affirmation, contemplation, and self-efficacy) were experimentally tested.

RESULTS

The more information participants ignored, the less they changed their intention to reduce their meat consumption (r = -.124). This effect was partially explained by cognitive dissonance induced by the presented information. While neither self-affirmation nor contemplation exercises reduced deliberate ignorance, self-efficacy exercises did.

CONCLUSION

Deliberate ignorance is a potential barrier for information interventions aiming to reduce meat consumption and needs to be considered in future interventions and research. Self-efficacy exercises are a promising approach to reduce deliberate ignorance and should be further explored.

An examination of help-seeking preferences via best-worst scaling

OBJECTIVE

This study utilized best-worst scaling and latent class analysis to assess mental health treatment preferences and identify subgroups of college student help seekers.

METHOD

College students (N = 504; age: M = 20.3, 79.2% female) completed assessments of mental health treatment preferences, self-stigma, and distress.

RESULTS

Students preferred utilizing friends and family, followed by professional mental health providers, self-help, keeping concerns to themselves, physicians, and lastly religious leaders. Latent class analyses identified four classes of respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

Subgroups of student help seekers include Formal Help Seekers who prefer professional mental health providers, Informal Help Seekers who prefer friends and family, Ambivalent Help Seekers who prefer family and friends but also keeping concerns to themselves, and Help Avoiders who prefer keeping concerns to themselves. Assessing treatment preferences among different student subgroups may constitute an initial step in identifying effective ways to address university-wide mental health concerns.

How Are Personal Values Linked to Help-Seeking Stigma?

The extent to which individuals prioritize different personal values may be conceptually linked to the perceptions of societal stigma associated with seeking psychological help (public stigma), as well as the extent to which they apply that stigma to themselves (self-stigma). We examined how personal values predicted public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Undergraduates ( N = 342) from two universities, one historically Black college/university and one predominantly White institution, completed questionnaires assessing personal values and public stigma and self-stigma of seeking psychological help. Self-transcendence values predicted lower self-stigma directly and indirectly via public stigma. Though there were no structural differences between the modeled relationships of values, public stigma, and self-stigma between Black/African American and White/European American undergraduates, the groups differed in their prioritization of self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation values. Results suggest that understanding how individuals prioritize certain values over others may help explain group-differences in help-seeking stigmas.