Support NeoGAF

[Ripclawe]

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn....does-organic-food-turn-people-into-jerks?lite

Renate Raymond has encountered her fair share of organic food snobs, but a recent trip to a Seattle market left her feeling like she'd stumbled onto the set of "Portlandia."

"I stopped at a market to get a fruit platter for a movie night with friends but I couldn't find one so I asked the produce guy," says the 40-year-old arts administrator from Seattle. "And he was like, 'If you want fruit platters, go to Safeway. We're organic.' I finally bought a small cake and some strawberries and then at the check stand, the guy was like 'You didn't bring your own bag? I need to charge you if you didn't bring your own bag.' It was like a 'Portlandia skit.' They were so snotty and arrogant."

As it turns out, new research has determined that a judgmental attitude may just go hand in hand with exposure to organic foods. In fact, a new study published this week in the journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science, has found that organic food may just make people act a bit like jerks.

"There's a line of research showing that when people can pat themselves on the back for their moral behavior, they can become self-righteous," says author Kendall Eskine, assistant professor of the department of psychological sciences at Loyola University in New Orleans.

"I've noticed a lot of organic foods are marketed with moral terminology, like Honest Tea, and wondered if you exposed people to organic food, if it would make them pat themselves on the back for their moral and environmental choices. I wondered if they would be more altruistic or not."

To find out, Eskine and his team divided 60 people into three groups. One group was shown pictures of clearly labeled organic food, like apples and spinach. Another group was shown comfort foods such as brownies and cookies. And a third group -- the controls -- were shown non-organic, non-comfort foods like rice, mustard and oatmeal. After viewing the pictures, each person was then asked to read a series of vignettes describing moral transgressions.

"One vignette was about second cousins having sex," says Eskine. "Another was about a lawyer on the prowl in an ER trying to get people to sue for their injuries. Then the groups made moral judgments on a scale from one to seven."

In another phase of the study, the three groups were asked to volunteer for a (fictitious) study, with each person writing down the amount of time -- from zero to 30 minutes -- that they would be willing to volunteer.

The results did not bode well for the organic folks.

"We found that the organic people judged much harder compared to the control or comfort food groups," says Eskine. "On a scale of 1 to 7, the organic people were like 5.5 while the controls were about a 5 and the comfort food people were like a 4.89."

When it came to helping out a needy stranger, the organic people also proved to be more selfish, volunteering only 13 minutes as compared to 19 minutes (for controls) and 24 minutes (for comfort food folks).

"There's something about being exposed to organic food that made them feel better about themselves," says Eskine. "And that made them kind of jerks a little bit, I guess."

Why does eating better make us act worse? Eskine says it probably has to do with what he calls "moral licensing."

"People may feel like they've done their good deed," he says. "That they have permission, or license, to act unethically later on. It's like when you go to the gym and run a few miles and you feel good about yourself, so you eat a candy bar."

Eskine says he was surprised by the findings ("You'd think eating organic would make you feel elevated and want to pay it forward," he says) and hopes to do additional studies that look at conditions that might prompt people to act differently.

Until then, organic eaters may want to rein in those self-righteous stink-eyes.

"At my local grocery, I sometimes catch organic eyes gazing into my grocery cart and scowling," says Sue Frause, a 61-year-old freelance writer/photographer from Whidbey Island. "So I'll often toss in really bad foods just to get them even more riled up."

 

[Bombadil]

I was going to say that correlation doesn't imply causation but it looks like they performed an experiment. I do believe that people who are actively trying to better themselves or the world tend to look down on those who aren't.

When I started working out, I criticized my friends for eating triple triples at In & Out.

Why does eating better make us act worse? Eskine says it probably has to do with what he calls "moral licensing."

"People may feel like they've done their good deed," he says. "That they have permission, or license, to act unethically later on.

It's also known as "moral credentials." A similar study was done which found that people who explicitly stated that they had voted for Obama before starting a study were more likely to make implicitly racist judgments during the study.

 

[shira]

Hmmm organic food

 

[blame space]

(success) does anyone give a shit

 

[Lafiel]

Probably true to a extent, since people who tend to eat organic food are somewhat part of the group of people that like feeling superior and self-righteous over everyone else.

Spoiler

aka hipsters

 

[Centurion]

same thing could be said about any group that thinks they're having a positive affect on society.

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

I would think so.

But I have to be honest, I feel self-righteous and perhaps even act like a jerk because I DO NOT eat organic food as I like to think everything should be farmed in the most efficient way possible that uses as little resources and land to make the food.

So yeah, everybody has to make the effort not to sound like an ass if they don't feel evil.

 

[Skeyser]

First thing I thought of when I read the thread title.

 

[xbhaskarx]

So all people are jerks and the non-organic people are just finding other ways to feel good about themselves?

 

[BorkBork]

It's also known as "moral credentials." A similar study was done which found that people who explicitly stated that they had voted for Obama before starting a study were more likely to make implicitly racist judgments during the study.

Yeah, it's not restricted to being green. I've heard it refer to as accumulating "moral capital". One does something perceived to be "good", which makes them think that they have a cushion to indulge or do something inappropriate in some other area.

 

[travisbickle]

Wow, Ripclawe. You must be a vegan, organic-food-eating, hybrid driver since you're such a judgemental prick.

 

[Bombadil]

Wow, Ripclawe. You must be a vegan, organic-food-eating, hybrid driver since you're such a judgemental prick.

 

[AnGer]

There is such a thing as non-organic food?

Huh. Pretty amazing.

 

[Keio]

This the continuation of an important body of work. Previous study showed conservatives link physical disgust to moral disgust.

Psychological scientist Kendall J. Eskine and coauthors from the University of New York noted that several studies have linked physical disgust to moral disgust, but no study has explored morality in conjunction with taste. In their experiment, students drank either a sweet (Minute Maid Berry Punch), bitter (Swedish Bitters), or control (water) beverage. The volunteers then rated a variety of moral transgressions and filled out additional information, including their political ideology. 

The results showed that taste perception significantly affected the study participants’ moral judgments — physical disgust, induced by a bitter taste, elicited feelings of moral disgust. This effect was more pronounced in participants with politically conservative views than in participants with liberal views. Taken together, these findings suggest that embodied gustatory experiences may impact moral processing more than previously thought. 

 

[Enron]

100% unsurprised by this.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

This the continuation of an important body of work. Previous study showed conservatives link physical disgust to moral disgust.

It says liberals showed the effect as well. That conservatives showed it more is in line with other research showing conservatives make certain moral judgments based on feelings while liberals tend to override their feelings and make a judgment based on reasoning. (And I said "certain judgments" not "all judgments" so don't get too riled up, conservatives.)

These are both cool studies, but I don't see how they are part of the same body of work, unless you mean "moral psychology" which is a broad body.

 

[Tornado Condor]

As a chemist, this "organic food" label pisses me off. ALL food is organic.

 

[TheMan]

As a chemist, this "organic food" label pisses me off. ALL food is organic.

i never liked the label either. but i guess "overpriced food that spoils quickly" doesn't quite have the same ring.

 

[Femmeworth]

As a chemist, this "organic food" label pisses me off. ALL food is organic.

Some foods are more organic than others. *hears salva snap a pencil in half*

 

[Keio]

It says liberals showed the effect as well. That conservatives showed it more is in line with other research showing conservatives make certain moral judgments based on feelings while liberals tend to override their feelings and make a judgment based on reasoning. (And I said "certain judgments" not "all judgments" so don't get too riled up, conservatives.)

These are both cool studies, but I don't see how they are part of the same body of work, unless you mean "moral psychology" which is a broad body.

Both studies portray interesting effects on perceived (either sensory or moral) qualities of food related to human behaviour; so that's a bit more narrow than moral psychology in general. Did you have organic lemon juice this morning by any chance?

But my issue is with media reporting on these studies in general. You end up with dumb generalizations which lead to reinforced stereotypes.

 

[Des0lar]

I would think so.

But I have to be honest, I feel self-righteous and perhaps even act like a jerk because I DO NOT eat organic food as I like to think everything should be farmed in the most efficient way possible that uses as little resources and land to make the food.

So yeah, everybody has to make the effort not to sound like an ass if they don't feel evil.

I don't know about America but in Europe, organic food tends to be locally produced and tends to try activily to conserve water during production and use short transport routes.

 

[saunderez]

I don't know about America but in Europe, organic food tends to be locally produced and tends to try activily to conserve water during production and use short transport routes.

That's not the inefficient part. It's the "lose half of your crop to pests which is easily avoided by commonly used pesticides" side of things.

 

[Suikoguy]

That's not the inefficient part. It's the "lose half of your crop to pests which is easily avoided by commonly used pesticides" side of things.

Organic food uses organic pesticides, which can still be quite effective.
For Example, Sulfur and Copper.

 

[cutmeamango]

So people that judge are more likely to pursue attitudes that support their judgement? Thank you, study!

 

[Freshmaker]

I was going to say that correlation doesn't imply causation but it looks like they performed an experiment. I do believe that people who are actively trying to better themselves or the world tend to look down on those who aren't.

Which is exceptionally pathetic given organic food offers no benefits over conventionally grown food.

But yeah, those folks can go enjoy getting max nutrition by eating their shallot skins unlike the dirty unwashed fools that occupy 99.9& of the rest of the world...

 

[Ultima_5]

As a chemist, this "organic food" label pisses me off. ALL food is organic.

I once saw an ex-gf's facebook. It deals with her choice in major.

exgf - "I'm changing from bio-chem to psychology!"
random person - "why"
exgf - "I needed something a bit more.... organic"

No hint of irony, and I doubt she knew that organic chemistry was a thing.

Chew on them apples.

 

[saunderez]

Organic food uses organic pesticides, which can still be quite effective.
For Example, Sulfur and Copper.

It can be, but in most cases it's not. Unfortunately pests built up resistances to most of the "organic" pesticides, that's why modern pesticides were invented in the first place.

 

[Ferga]

same thing could be said about any group that thinks they're having a positive affect on society.

Yeah this.

They probably think, "everyone but me is trying to save everything, screw everyone else!"

 

[Always-honest]

when people can pat themselves on the back for their moral behavior, they can become self-righteous

This is the quote that matters. Has nothing to do with "organic food" (jesus christ, seriously??) though.

But when people stop smoking, lose weight, eat biological chickens, basicly when people find it in themselves to take their stupid mind or wasted body a step further and take control of their own selfdestructive nature, they can become self-righteous.

Those are the dumbass people. And yes, those are most people.
The ones that from the moment they took that step, think they can tell you how you should live your life.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Organic food uses organic pesticides, which can still be quite effective.
For Example, Sulfur and Copper.

The hilarious thing is that neither of these are organic. In fact, the pesticides that they dont use ARE organic.

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

I don't know about America but in Europe, organic food tends to be locally produced and tends to try activily to conserve water during production and use short transport routes.

But any farm could do that (or not). There's no reason to prefer to use less efficient fertilizers and pesticides though. That reduces efficiency and makes you require more land for the same amount of food. Which is a bad idea when we're only halfway to our predicted population plateau.

 

[Tornado Condor]

I once saw an ex-gf's facebook. It deals with her choice in major.

exgf - "I'm changing from bio-chem to psychology!"
random person - "why"
exgf - "I needed something a bit more.... organic"

No hint of irony, and I doubt she knew that organic chemistry was a thing.

Chew on them apples.

Avatar quote

 

[Freshmaker]

I don't know about America but in Europe, organic food tends to be locally produced and tends to try activily to conserve water during production and use short transport routes.

Studies have shown that they don't really accomplish much of an environmental positive with all that. They do manage to generate more carbon emissions tho.

 

[Tideas]

should do a study for hybrid/prius drivers

 

[Myoclonic Jerk]

I'm not an Organic Jerk, I'm a Myoclonic one

 

[jorma]

But any farm could do that (or not). There's no reason to prefer to use less efficient fertilizers and pesticides though. That reduces efficiency and makes you require more land for the same amount of food. Which is a bad idea when we're only halfway to our predicted population plateau.

Reading on wikipedia it does not sound all that bad:

A 2007 study[26] compiling research from 293 different comparisons into a single study to assess the overall efficiency of the two agricultural systems has concluded that

...organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base. (from the abstract)

The researchers also found that while in developed countries, organic systems on average produce 92% of the yield produced by conventional agriculture, organic systems produce 80% more than conventional farms in developing countries, because the materials needed for organic farming are more accessible than synthetic farming materials to farmers in some poor countries. On the other hand, communities that lack sufficient manure to replenish soils would struggle with organic farming, and the soil would degrade rapidly.

 

[Winnie the Pimp]

But any farm could do that (or not). There's no reason to prefer to use less efficient fertilizers and pesticides though. That reduces efficiency and makes you require more land for the same amount of food. Which is a bad idea when we're only halfway to our predicted population plateau.

true, then again in order to more efficiently combat rampant overpopulation, we could just kill ourselves so we no longer consume food, water, and emit emissions

 

[RSLYG]

We also got 'drink water snob' here in GAF

 

[Magnus]

Screw the study. Ima say yes right off the bat. Also, who invented gluten and gluten-allergy a few years ago?

Spoiler

I'm kidding. Sort of. Seriously, I'd never heard about it till 2008 or 2009.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Screw the study. Ima say yes right off the bat. Also, who invented gluten and gluten-allergy a few years ago?

Spoiler

I'm kidding. Sort of. Seriously, I'd never heard about it till 2008 or 2009.

Glutards (self-diagnosed celiacs) are funny. The gluten free lifestyle makes them feel special, like part of an exclusive club. Thing is, it's a crippling, potentially dangerous illness that can kill you. It's baffling that it somehow became trendy.

I don't know why certain people can attribute moral characteristics to the food you eat. It makes no sense.

 

[Magnus]

Glutards (self-diagnosed celiacs) are funny. The gluten free lifestyle makes them feel special, like part of an exclusive club. Thing is, it's a crippling, potentially dangerous illness that can kill you. It's baffling that it somehow became trendy.

I don't know why certain people can attribute moral characteristics to the food you eat. It makes no sense.

I didn't know this was actually a thing. Hilarious.

I'm actually going to say "I'm so sorry – how long have you been living with Celiac Disease?" from now on when people declare their gluten-free status to me. If they give me a wtf look, I'll give myself permission to endlessly ridicule them.

 

[Kentpaul]

I only eat eggs from caged chickens. I ain't no snob.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I didn't know this was actually a thing. Hilarious.

I'm actually going to say "I'm so sorry – how long have you been living with Celiac Disease?" from now on when people declare their gluten-free status to me. If they give me a wtf look, I'll give myself permission to endlessly ridicule them.

The first response should always be: "I'm sorry to hear that. When were you diagnosed?"

Their answer will tell you everything you need to know.

 

[shintoki]

You mean people who pride themselves on idiotic things are jerks? One does not say. Probably apply the same thing to most other groups.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Glutards (self-diagnosed celiacs) are funny. The gluten free lifestyle makes them feel special, like part of an exclusive club. Thing is, it's a crippling, potentially dangerous illness that can kill you. It's baffling that it somehow became trendy.

I don't know why certain people can attribute moral characteristics to the food you eat. It makes no sense.

hah, friend's wife is a legit celiac and these people annoy the shit out of her.

 

[navii]

similar to bicycle riders, in my experience, they are arrogant jerks cos they dont drive cars so they think they are better than thou!

 

[tokkun]

So people that judge are more likely to pursue attitudes that support their judgement? Thank you, study!

You mean people who pride themselves on idiotic things are jerks? One does not say. Probably apply the same thing to most other groups.

The study's methodology does nothing to separate people by attitude.

What they found was that people who were shown pictures of organic food, regardless of whether they sought out organic food in real life, responded more judgmentally.

 

[Oppo]

yeah I could believe this.

the same way that people who have quit smoking, or lost weight themselves, tend to be the biggest dicks about smoking or food control, because hey, if they can do it... etc.

 

[danwarb]

We should all be as immoral as possible so that no one can feel superior.

 

[teruterubozu]

You are what you eat.