Community Corner
POLL: Are Those Who Buy Organic Foods Just a Bunch of Snobs?
Research out of Loyola University suggests that those who buy organics are less generous and more judgmental than those who choose more standard fare.
Back when my son ate jarred baby food, I only bought Earth's Best. It's organic, it's wholesome, and, I admit, the apple raspberry puree is pretty tasty.
Well, according to a new study, my choice in baby food could mean two things: 1) He's a little tiny snob for having eaten it; or 2) I'm a snob for buying it.
Wait, what?
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According to a study recently published in the journal Social Psycholgical & Personality Science, research out of Loyola University in New Orleans suggests that those who buy organic foods are less generous and more judgmental than those who buy regular old baby food or macaroni and cheese from a box.
It also suggests that although organic foods are often marketed with "moral terms" such as Honest Tea, Smart Balance, and yes, Earth's Best, no research has investigated the extent to which exposure to organic foods influences moral judgments or behavior.
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In the stury, organic and non-organic consumers were rated as to how much time they would spend helping needy strangers in certain situations. The groups also ranked the severity of certain moral transgressions.
Researchers feel their findings have to do with a certain self-righteousness that comes with feeling better about one's self for doing the right thing.
The study's abstract reads:
Recent research has revealed that specific tastes can influence moral processing, with sweet tastes inducing prosocial behavior and disgusting tastes harshening moral judgments. Do similar effects apply to different food types (comfort foods, organic foods, etc.)? ... After viewing a few organic foods, comfort foods, or control foods, participants who were exposed to organic foods volunteered significantly less time to help a needy stranger, and they judged moral transgressions significantly harsher than those who viewed nonorganic foods. These results suggest that exposure to organic foods may lead people to affirm their moral identities, which attenuates their desire to be altruistic.
What do you think, Patch readers? Do you feel that there is a stigma attached to those who buy organics?
