Benjamin Buttlar
@benjaminbuttlar.bsky.social
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Trier. I'm particularly interested in cognitive conflicts and how people make and follow through with decisions that go against their attitudes.
Check out my work at benjaminbuttlar.de
Check out my work at benjaminbuttlar.de
Finally, I want to give a huge thank you to @lenahahn.bsky.social and Monique Chambon, who were instrumental in bringing this paper to life. As always, it was a pleasure working with you!
9/9
9/9
A Matter of Preparation: Investigating the Differential Effects of Disassembling and Cooking on Meat-Related Perceptions and Conflict| Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations
phair.psychopen.eu
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Finally, I want to give a huge thank you to @lenahahn.bsky.social and Monique Chambon, who were instrumental in bringing this paper to life. As always, it was a pleasure working with you!
9/9
9/9
If you’re interested in the psychology of eating and animal ethics, check out the full paper published open access in PHAIR, the official journal of the @phair-society.bsky.social hosted by the @psychopengold.bsky.social at the @zpid.bsky.social 👇
phair.psychopen.eu/index.php/ph...
8/9
phair.psychopen.eu/index.php/ph...
8/9
A Matter of Preparation: Investigating the Differential Effects of Disassembling and Cooking on Meat-Related Perceptions and Conflict| Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations
phair.psychopen.eu
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
If you’re interested in the psychology of eating and animal ethics, check out the full paper published open access in PHAIR, the official journal of the @phair-society.bsky.social hosted by the @psychopengold.bsky.social at the @zpid.bsky.social 👇
phair.psychopen.eu/index.php/ph...
8/9
phair.psychopen.eu/index.php/ph...
8/9
Thereby, our study shows how food preparation can change how people think and feel about meat, and their willingness to eat it.
This knowledge can inform the design of interventions that encourage people to eat less meat in a way that is psychologically informed and situationally sensitive.
7/9
This knowledge can inform the design of interventions that encourage people to eat less meat in a way that is psychologically informed and situationally sensitive.
7/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Thereby, our study shows how food preparation can change how people think and feel about meat, and their willingness to eat it.
This knowledge can inform the design of interventions that encourage people to eat less meat in a way that is psychologically informed and situationally sensitive.
7/9
This knowledge can inform the design of interventions that encourage people to eat less meat in a way that is psychologically informed and situationally sensitive.
7/9
Here’s what we found 👇
🥩 When the dish was disassembled, people felt less emotionally aroused and less compassionate than when it was whole.
🔥 When the dish was cooked, people felt less compassionate, but also less negative, conflicted, disgusted, and angry, and had a greater desire to eat it.
6/9
🥩 When the dish was disassembled, people felt less emotionally aroused and less compassionate than when it was whole.
🔥 When the dish was cooked, people felt less compassionate, but also less negative, conflicted, disgusted, and angry, and had a greater desire to eat it.
6/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Here’s what we found 👇
🥩 When the dish was disassembled, people felt less emotionally aroused and less compassionate than when it was whole.
🔥 When the dish was cooked, people felt less compassionate, but also less negative, conflicted, disgusted, and angry, and had a greater desire to eat it.
6/9
🥩 When the dish was disassembled, people felt less emotionally aroused and less compassionate than when it was whole.
🔥 When the dish was cooked, people felt less compassionate, but also less negative, conflicted, disgusted, and angry, and had a greater desire to eat it.
6/9
So we did! 🧪
We re-analyzed data from 1,189 people (U.S.-representative sample) who each saw one of many meat images varied on two factors:
🥩 Whole vs. disassembled
🔥 Raw vs. cooked
Then we asked about their attitudes and feelings about the presented meat dish and how much they wanted to eat it.
5/9
We re-analyzed data from 1,189 people (U.S.-representative sample) who each saw one of many meat images varied on two factors:
🥩 Whole vs. disassembled
🔥 Raw vs. cooked
Then we asked about their attitudes and feelings about the presented meat dish and how much they wanted to eat it.
5/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
So we did! 🧪
We re-analyzed data from 1,189 people (U.S.-representative sample) who each saw one of many meat images varied on two factors:
🥩 Whole vs. disassembled
🔥 Raw vs. cooked
Then we asked about their attitudes and feelings about the presented meat dish and how much they wanted to eat it.
5/9
We re-analyzed data from 1,189 people (U.S.-representative sample) who each saw one of many meat images varied on two factors:
🥩 Whole vs. disassembled
🔥 Raw vs. cooked
Then we asked about their attitudes and feelings about the presented meat dish and how much they wanted to eat it.
5/9
However, food preparation arguably includes at least two different steps:
🥩 Disassembling (chopping, mincing, etc.)
🔥 Cooking (applying heat)
Surprisingly, past research hadn’t clearly teased apart how each of these steps affects people’s feelings about meat.
4/9
🥩 Disassembling (chopping, mincing, etc.)
🔥 Cooking (applying heat)
Surprisingly, past research hadn’t clearly teased apart how each of these steps affects people’s feelings about meat.
4/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
However, food preparation arguably includes at least two different steps:
🥩 Disassembling (chopping, mincing, etc.)
🔥 Cooking (applying heat)
Surprisingly, past research hadn’t clearly teased apart how each of these steps affects people’s feelings about meat.
4/9
🥩 Disassembling (chopping, mincing, etc.)
🔥 Cooking (applying heat)
Surprisingly, past research hadn’t clearly teased apart how each of these steps affects people’s feelings about meat.
4/9
Food preparation helps with this dissociation.
Cooking, chopping, and seasoning can hide reminders like blood or animal body parts — making meat feel less like an animal and more like… food.
3/9
Cooking, chopping, and seasoning can hide reminders like blood or animal body parts — making meat feel less like an animal and more like… food.
3/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Food preparation helps with this dissociation.
Cooking, chopping, and seasoning can hide reminders like blood or animal body parts — making meat feel less like an animal and more like… food.
3/9
Cooking, chopping, and seasoning can hide reminders like blood or animal body parts — making meat feel less like an animal and more like… food.
3/9
Many people experience meat-related conflict. This has often been discussed in light of the so-called meat paradox: People like eating meat but don’t like harming animals.
One way people avoid this conflict? They dissociate — mentally separating meat from the animal it once was.
2/9
One way people avoid this conflict? They dissociate — mentally separating meat from the animal it once was.
2/9
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Many people experience meat-related conflict. This has often been discussed in light of the so-called meat paradox: People like eating meat but don’t like harming animals.
One way people avoid this conflict? They dissociate — mentally separating meat from the animal it once was.
2/9
One way people avoid this conflict? They dissociate — mentally separating meat from the animal it once was.
2/9