Organic food lovers: As a whole, they tend to be good citizens who care deeply not only about the health of the planet, but also about the people who inhabit it.

Right?

Well, guess what?

New research suggests that the opposite may be true.

In a recent study, researchers at Loyola University New Orleans found that exposure to organic foods actually may make people more judgmental and less willing to help others.

FOODS THAT MESS WITH OUR MINDS

For the study, college students were split into three groups. One group was shown pictures of organic produce (with labels saying “organic”)…the second group viewed pictures of nonorganic comfort foods, such as ice cream and cookies…and the third group looked at pictures of nonorganic, noncomfort foods, such as rice and mustard.

In the first phase of the experiment, participants received brief stories about fictional moral transgressions. For example, one scenario involved a personal injury lawyer who tried to find new clients by hanging out in emergency rooms and trying to persuade patients to sue people. In another scenario, a man who was looking for a job couldn’t afford to buy new clothes for interviews, so he shoplifted. Each participant was asked to judge each scenario on a scale ranging from “not at all morally wrong” to “very morally wrong.”

Results: Participants who had looked at the pictures of organic foods viewed moral transgressions most harshly—14% more harshly than the comfort food group and 9% more harshly than the nonorganic, noncomfort food group. So they were the most judgmental of the bunch!

In the second phase of the experiment, participants were told that another professor was conducting more research and needed volunteers. They were informed that they wouldn’t receive course credit or compensation for their help and were asked to indicate how many minutes (out of 30) they would be willing to volunteer.

The organic group was least generous. On average, the nonorganic, comfort food group volunteered 25 minutes…the nonorganic, noncomfort food group volunteered 20 minutes…and the organic group offered a mere 13 minutes.

In other words, those who had simply looked at photos of organic foods one time were more likely to be judgmental and less likely to help others. Of course, that doesn’t mean that people who eat organic foods regularly would necessarily act the same way, but it’s certainly an interesting outcome—wouldn’t you say?

SO YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN I AM?

To learn more, I called the lead author, Kendall Eskine, PhD, an assistant psychology professor at the university. He told me that the findings may have to do with something psychologists call “moral licensing.” It means that viewing organic foods might have caused those participants to feel morally superior—and that, in their minds, gave them permission to be more judgmental and less helpful.

But could it be that simply viewing produce, in general, and not viewing organic produce, specifically, was what made people feel more judgmental and more selfish? Dr. Eskine told me that he has since replicated the original study with a two-group design—four produce items with organic labels and the same four produce items without the organic labels. “The results showed that only the group that looked at the “organic” produce gave harsher judgments and volunteered less,” he said.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that we should all stop buying and eating organic foods. “I’m a supporter of the organic industry,” said Dr. Eskine. “But if you eat organic foods, it’s a good idea to pay more attention to how you react in situations that are similar to the ones described earlier.”

What do you think? If you buy organic, is it possible that you are getting a “holier than thou” feeling from doing it? Could it be making you more judgmental or selfish? Do you have a health-food-eating friend who’s become insufferable? Please comment below!