SWPS study: a chicken with a name makes preschoolers choose poultry less often

The SWPS University team ran two experiments with children aged 5–6. Some were shown a chicken with a name (Lelek, and Chico in the second experiment) and a description of its favourite food and daily habits; the children then built toy sandwiches from slices of cheese, tomato, and chicken and pork cold cuts.

Children who met the chicken as a unique individual were less willing to eat it and chose fewer chicken slices. The effect did not extend to pork, however, and appeared mainly among children who were not keen on meat; it did not change the choices of children who strongly liked meat.

The results were published in the journal Appetite. According to Dr Aleksandra Rabinovitch, the key is presenting the animal as a unique being, which leads children to extend their concern to other members of the species. The authors suggest that personalised animals in preschool education could help promote diets richer in plant foods.