Differences in Americans' Motivations for Eating Plant-Rich Foods
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Provided by: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication|Published on: January 18, 2023
Data, Graphs, and MapsScientist Reviewed
9101112AP
Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This report presents the findings of a survey to determine what motivates Americans to have a more plant-based diet and provides recommendations to encourage people further.
- The data collected from the survey is presented in graphs, segmenting parts of the population based on their motivations.
Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, Health
Authors: Karine Lacroix et al., Matthew Goldberg, Jennifer Marlon, Seth Rosenthal, Matthew Ballew, Xinran Wang, Martial Jefferson, Jillian Semaan and Anthony Leiserowitz
Region: North America, United States
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The article presents the findings through a series of charts while discussing the conclusions drawn from said findings.
- This article is a great way to introduce students to how population segmentation and surveys are used in scientific studies.
- After reading the article, students can participate in the survey.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with reading and interpreting graphs.
- The study is specific to the motivations of Americans. Students should be aware that these findings do not reflect the motivations and barriers of people living in other countries.
- Students should click the hyperlinks related to the Six Americas Survey to better understand the final population segmentation presented in the article.
Differentiation
- As a challenge, have more advanced students try to interpret the data presented in the graphs before reading the researchers' conclusions.
- This resource can also be used in statistics classes during lessons about interpreting data, means, confidence intervals, and research.
- As an extension, have students follow the instructions at the bottom of the article to use the survey tool and determine their community's willingness and motivation to adopt a plant-based diet.
- Have students read this article to learn more about the potential of adopting plant-rich diets to reduce carbon emissions.
The website provides a brief overview of a study in the process of being published, a link to the study including raw data and R script is provided. The study looks at the motivation of Americans to incorporate plant-based foods into their diets, the surveyed motives include: health, environment, and ethical reasons. Potential messaging strategies are also discussed in an effort to ensure that corporations can more effectively market their products. This resource would be a great addition to a classroom discussing climate change and what individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprints. A marketing or computer coding class would also enjoy this resource as an example of effective marketing and data analysis.
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts scientific research on public opinion and behavior. They also engage the public in climate change science and solutions, in partnerships with governments, media, companies, and civil society.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
