Ira Herwig

Year: 2021

Center: Social Sciences

Supervisor: Jutta Mata

Ira Herwig completed her Bachelor‘s degree in Psychology at the Justus-Liebig-University in Gießen and her Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Mannheim. During her studies, she worked in various research assistant jobs, most recently at the Chair of Health Psychology.

In her master thesis, she investigated the concept of deliberate ignorance in meat eaters, which describes the tendency to avoid information about the negative consequences of meat consumption. Her study examined the drivers and consequences of deliberate ignorance and tested a potential intervention against it. In another research project, she investigated the support for more plant-based options at the university canteen among students and staff of the University of Mannheim.

Her research interests lay mainly in the determinants of environment-friendly health behaviors, especially of reduced meat consumption. She is particularly interested in the social influences on meat consumption/reduction (e.g., social identities, norms, and conflicts).