Rebecca Gregson

Senior Research Fellow

Rebecca is an ESRC funded Senior Research Fellow at Lancaster University, working on pathways toward sustainable diets. In March, 2024 Rebecca defended her thesis, which presented an investigation into the role of the wider social context in the pursuit and maintenance of plant-forward diets. This body of work presented the idea that the social barriers to plant-forward diets exist in a “vicious cycle” that serves to reinforce the continued and normative consumption of animal derived food products. In her research, Rebecca studied these factors at various levels of society, including at the distal- (i.e., wider representations of vegan diets) and meso-level (i.e., groups, family systems). This included research on anti-vegan communities and the role of romantic partners and family members in the transition toward a plant-forward diet.  Her doctoral studies were completed at Lancaster University and funded by an ESRC CASE Studentship award, in which she was partnered with Greenpeace International. In this role, she worked with Dr. Jared Piazza, Dr. Ryan Boyd and Dr. Heather Shaw. Broadly, Rebecca has a wide range of research interests, including the psychological study of identity, group processes, sustainable behaviours and social change.

Publications.

  • Gregson, R., & Piazza, J. (2025). Navigating Family Dynamics in the Transition to a Plant-Forward Diet: The Role of Social Support Journal of Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2025.2467989.
  • Gregson, R., Piazza, J., & Shaw, H. (2024). Is being anti-vegan a distinct dietarian identity? An investigation with omnivores, vegans, and self-identified “anti-vegans”. Appetite, 192, 107126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107126
  • Gregson, R. and Piazza, J. (2023) ‘Relational climate and openness to plant-forward diets among cohabitating couples’, Appetite, 187, p.106617. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106617.
  • Gregson, R., Piazza, J., & Boyd, R. (2022). ‘Against the cult of veganism’: Unpacking the social psychology and ideology of anti-vegans. Appetite, 178, 106143. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2022.106143
  • Piazza, J., Gregson, R., Kordoni, A., Pfeiler, T., Ruby, M., & Ellis, D. et al. (2021). Monitoring a meat-free pledge with smartphones: An experimental study. Appetite, 105726. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105726

Email: b.gregson@lancaster.ac.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebecca_gregson

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-gregson-47949a194?trk=people-guest_people_search-card