Near Versus Far: How Temporal Distance Affects Perceptions of Synthetic Meat

Abstract

While tremendous progress has been achieved in developing lab-grown meat as a future replacement to conventional meat, overcoming consumer reluctance because of worries about potential human health influence remains an important hurdle. Previous research examined how individuals feel about lab-grown meat from a demographic aspect. However, there has been limited study on how different levels of construal influence the assessment of lab-grown meat. Based on Construal Level Theory, this study tried to assess the effect of temporal distance on attitudes toward lab-grown meat, as well as purchase intentions, safety perceptions, and potency. When the temporal distance is regarded as nearer, attitudes, purchasing intentions, safety, and potency toward lab-grown meat are evaluated higher than when the temporal distance is perceived to be far away. This is due to the fact that a higher temporal gap leads to more abstract thinking, where judgments are likely based on the stereotype that "lab-grown = unsafe."