Would a child be less interested in eating chicken if they knew one by name? New research suggests the answer may depend on how much they like meat in the first place.
In two experiments involving 199 Polish preschoolers ages 5 and 6, researchers found that children who learned about a chicken with its own name and personality were less likely to choose pretend poultry for a sandwich. But the effect was largely limited to children who weren't already enthusiastic meat eaters, suggesting that familiar food preferences can be stronger than feelings of empathy.
The study, published in the journal Appetite, explored whether getting to know an animal as an individual could influence children's willingness to eat meat from other animals of the same species.
Researchers at SWPS University introduced children to a chicken named Lelek or Chico, depending on the experiment. Some children learned the bird's name, favorite foods and daily habits, while others received more general information about chickens.
The children were then invited to assemble toy sandwiches using pretend ingredients, including cheese, tomatoes, poultry and pork cold cuts. Researchers also asked whether they would be willing to eat the chickens they had learned about.
Children who got to know a chicken as an individual were generally less willing to eat that particular bird. Among those who weren't especially fond of meat, that reluctance extended to their sandwich choices, with children selecting fewer pretend poultry slices.
But giving a chicken a name wasn't necessarily enough. In the second experiment, children responded more strongly when the bird was described as having its own distinctive personality than when it was presented as similar to other chickens.
And their feelings had limits. The children weren't less interested in pork, suggesting that concern for one type of animal didn't automatically extend to others. Children who already strongly preferred meat were also largely unaffected.
The findings build on earlier research into how children think about animals and food. Previous studies have found that many children consider giving up meat, often because they care about animals, but taste preferences and family eating habits can make those intentions difficult to maintain.
The new experiments suggest that learning about an animal's individual personality may influence some children's food choices, even when the meat comes from another animal of the same species.
There are important limitations, though. The children were choosing pretend sandwich ingredients, not actual meals, so researchers don't know whether the same reactions would occur with real food or last beyond the experiment. The study also didn't examine whether eating less meat would improve children's health or nutrition.
The study was funded by the National Science Centre, Poland, a government agency that supports scientific research.