Abstract for: Human behavioural drivers of meat consumption: Using group model building to capture lived realities

Psychological behavioural theories and framework dominate existing work on pro-environmental behaviour, including in the modelling front. However, such abstract, parsimonious, and generalisable theories may not fully account for nor resonate with people’s lived experiences. To complement the theoretical frameworks, then, we conducted group model building workshops with graduate students to co-produce a model of human behaviour grounded on lived realities. Focusing on meat consumption as a relatable context, we used causal loop diagramming to capture and structure participants' feedback stories on the drivers of meat consumption. Participants were encouraged to relate their experiences to their local contexts. This approach aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of human behaviour and its relation to environmental actions, enriching existing theoretical frameworks with real-world perspectives.