Vegetarians May Be Less Benevolent Than Meat Eaters, Study Claims
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A new study suggests that people who follow a vegetarian diet may place less importance on certain social values—like caring for close others and conforming to societal norms—than those who regularly eat meat.
In his paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE, psychologist professor John Nezlek of the College of William and Mary in Virginia conducted a meta-analysis of three past studies from both the United States and Poland to assess how core human values differ between vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
"The present results suggest that vegetarians hold values consistent with being members of a social minority who are willing to stand by their principles," he wrote.
A stock image showing a vegetarian salad.
A stock image showing a vegetarian salad.
VeselovaElena/iStock / Getty Images Plus
What The Study Did
Nezlek analyzed three past studies involving adult subjects: one in the U.S., where vegetarians were oversampled (514 vegetarians vs. 540 non-vegetarians); and two in Poland (68 vegetarians and 1,943 non-vegetarians).
Their responses were valued against Schwartz's Portrait Value Questionnaire that measures ten "basic human values," such as Benevolence (looking after friends and family), Security (seeking safety and stability), and Self-direction (valuing independence).
Participants in the U.S. study completed the 57-item Portrait Values Questionnaire–Revised (PVQ-RR) to assess Schwartz's model of basic human values, while respondents in both Polish samples completed the shorter, 21-item PVQ.
In each version, participants compare themselves to a gender-specific "person" described in terms of various aspirations and goals—for example: "Thinking up new ideas and being creative is important to her; she likes to do things her own original way," or "Being very successful is important to him; he likes to impress other people."
These gendered formulations are intended to strengthen respondents' ability to relate to the comparison figure.
Across all studies, participants rated each item on the standard six-point scale: 1 = not like me at all, 2 = not like me, 3 = a little like me, 4 = moderately like me, 5 = like me and 6 = very much like me.
Key Findings
Lower benevolence : Across all three samples, vegetarians rated benevolence (concern for those close to you) significantly lower than meat eaters did. This suggests vegetarians, on average, place less emphasis on nurturing personal relationships than non-vegetarians .
: Across all three samples, vegetarians rated benevolence (concern for those close to you) significantly lower than meat eaters did. This suggests vegetarians, on average, place less emphasis on nurturing personal relationships than non-vegetarians . Reduced security and conformity : Vegetarians also scored lower on security (valuing safety and harmony) and conformity (following social norms).
: Vegetarians also scored lower on security (valuing safety and harmony) and conformity (following social norms). Higher stimulation, achievement, and power: those who avoid meat rated values like stimulation (seeking excitement), achievement (personal success), and power (control over resources) higher than meat eaters.
Why Does This Matter?
These findings challenge the common perception that vegetarians are uniformly more "benevolent" or community-oriented.
Instead, the data indicates that adopting a vegetarian diet may reflect a broader willingness to break from tradition and assert personal independence—perhaps even to seek power or achievement in non-traditional ways.
However, study focused on two Western countries; whether these patterns hold in other continents remains unknown.
Nezlek argues that choosing a minority diet is a deliberate act of individualism.
"The present results suggest that although vegetarians may be more sensitive to the pain and suffering of animals and may be more aware of threats to the environment than non-vegetarians, this sensitivity and awareness do not reflect basic human value of benevolence," he explained.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about vegetarianism? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Nezlek, J. B. (2025). Rethinking vegetarianism: Differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the endorsement of basic human values. PLOS ONE, 20(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323202
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