Plant-Based Meat and the Perceived Familiarity Gap Hypothesis: The Role of Health and Environmental Consciousness

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of motivational factors on the perceived familiarity gap in the context of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). Through a nationally representative survey of 1,008 adults in Singapore, this study finds a perceived familiarity gap for PBMAs between less- and more-educated people and that attention to television news, newspapers, television programs, the Internet, and social media narrows the perceived familiarity gap. Furthermore, the study finds significant three-way interactions among newspaper attention, education, and environmental consciousness, as well as three-way interactions among television news attention, education, and environmental consciousness. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.