Open to experiencing ... meat alternatives? The HEXACO personality model and willingness to try, buy, and pay among omnivores ...

Meat alternatives have risen in popularity due to increased health, environmental, and animal welfare concerns. We add to emerging literature examining factors influencing meat alternative consumption. Using the recent development of a meat alternative taxonomy (traditional plant-based meat alternatives, pulses, insects, textured vegetable protein, and cultured meat; Onwezen et al., 2021), we examine how the HEXACO personality model is associated with willingness to try, buy, and pay for five unique categories of meat alternatives. In a two-part online survey, participants completed the HEXACO (n = 478) and then completed the meat alternative willingness to try, buy, and pay survey (n = 451). Personality differentially predicted each type of meat alternative willingness to try, buy, and pay, with more novel forms such as insects and cultured meat differentiating from more traditional forms. Importantly, Openness to Experience was associated with heightened willingness to try, buy, and pay for all meat alternatives. Implications for governments, non-profits, managers, and researchers are discussed.