ORIGINAL RESEARCH
published: 08 June 2021
doi: 10.3389/ psyg.2021.662141
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 1June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 662141
Edi ed by:
An onio Bo a,
Ca holic Uni e si y o he Sac ed
Hea , I aly
Re iewed by:
Dimi is Se a is,
Uni e si y o Mal a, Mal a
An onia La ain,
Albe o Hu ado Uni e si y, Chile
*Co espondence:
Ma ía Pila Jiménez-Aleixand e
[email p o ec ed]
†These au ho s ha e con ibu ed
equally o his wo k and sha e i s
au ho ship
Special y sec ion:
This a icle was submi ed o
Language Sciences,
a sec ion o he jou nal
F on ie s in Psychology
Recei ed: 31 Janua y 2021
Accep ed: 10 May 2021
Published: 08 June 2021
Ci a ion:
Jiménez-Aleixand e MP and B ocos P
(2021) Emo ional Tension as a F ame
o A gumen a ion and
Decision-Making: Vege a ian s.
Omni o ous Die s.
F on . Psychol. 12:662141.
doi: 10.3389/ psyg.2021.662141
Emo ional Tension as a F ame o
A gumen a ion and Decision-Making:
Vege a ian s. Omni o ous Die s
Ma ía Pila Jiménez-Aleixand e*†and Pablo B ocos†
Depa amen o de Didác icas Aplicadas, Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, San iago de Compos ela, Spain
A gumen a i e discou se has a complexi y ha is no en i ely cap u ed by pu ely
s uc u al analyses. In a gumen s abou socio-scien i ic issues (SSI), a ange o
dimensions, besides scien i ic knowledge, including alues, e hical conce ns, cul u al
habi s, o emo ions, a e mobilized. The ela ionship be ween a gumen a ion and
emo ions is now d awing a en ion o esea che s. Ou ocus is on he dynamic
in e ac ions among emo ions and scien i ic e idence. We d aw om Plan in, who
p oposed ha emo ions a e mobilized as a gumen a i e esou ces alongside knowledge.
The goal o ou s udy is o examine in which ways emo ional ension ames he
cons uc ion o a gumen s abou ege a ian s. omni o ous die s (ODs) wi h a g oup
o ou p ese ice eache s. The esul s sugges ha he in e ac ions be ween he
g oup emo ional ension and he e alua ion o e idence d i e a change owa d a
decision ha would be emo ionally accep able o all pa icipan s. Pa icipan s a ended
o he epis emic dimension, weighing e idence, and alues abou he choices, bu
he emo ional aming ook p io i y. We sugges ha he analysis o his emo i e
aming may be a ui ul app oach o sophis ica ed s udies o a gumen a ion beyond
s uc u al issues.
Keywo ds: a gumen a ion, emo ions, discou se, decision-making, ege a ianism, sus ainable die
INTRODUCTION: ARGUMENTATION AND EMOTIONS ABOUT
DIETS
The analysis o he s uc u e o a gumen s—in o he wo ds, he numbe , quali y, and ela ionships
be ween componen s such as claims, da a, jus i ica ions, o ebu als—has yielded ele an insigh s
abou how knowledge is jus i ied o , mo e gene ally, e alua ed (e.g., Be land and McNeill, 2010;
Osbo ne e al., 2016; B a o-To ija and Jiménez-Aleixand e, 2018). A gumen a i e discou se has,
howe e , a complexi y ha is no en i ely cap u ed by pu ely s uc u al analyses. In pa icula , in
a gumen s abou socio-scien i ic issues (SSI), a ange o dimensions, besides scien i ic knowledge,
including alues, e hical conce ns, cul u al habi s, o emo ions, a e mobilized. The ela ionship
be ween a gumen a ion and emo ions, unde s udied o yea s, is ecen ly d awing a en ion o
esea che s (e.g., Micheli, 2010; Bake e al., 2013a; Polla oli e al., 2019). P e ious wo k on
a gumen a ion abou SSI add essed his ela ionship in e ms o dis inc ions among ypes o
a gumen s, o ins ance, Zeidle and Sadle ’s (2008) desc ip ion o h ee a gumen a i e pa e ns:
a ional, in ui i e, and emo i e. This s udy is amed in a di e en pe spec i e, o we a e
in e es ed in he dynamic in e ac ions among emo ions, e alua ion o scien i ic e idence, and o he
dimensions such as cul u al iden i ies o e hical conce ns, wha o Hu nagel (2015, 2019, 2021)
Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
cons i u es emo ional sense-making. Plan in (2011) ook a
no el app oach o he ela ionships be ween a gumen a ion and
emo ions, concei ing emo ions as a gumen a i e esou ces ha
a e mobilized alongside knowledge. We d aw om Plan in’s
(2019) wo k abou a ia ion o in e ac ional ension as a
de ining ea u e o emo ions in discou se, combining i wi h
And iessen e al.’s (2011) app oach o socio-cogni i e ension
in a gumen a i e in e ac ions. The balance be ween engagemen
in a gumen a ion and sus aining a o able socio-emo ional
p ocesses has been explo ed by Isohä älä e al. (2018). By
socio-emo ional p ocesses, hey mean he social and emo ional
dimensions o collabo a i e lea ning: social “in he sense ha hey
a e dynamically c ea ed wi hin he in e pe sonal se ing h ough
he social in e ac ions ha he lea ne s engage in” (p. 2); and
emo ional in he sense ha he lea ne s’ pe cep ions o he social
con ex a e ela ed o hei emo ions. Isohä älä e al. (2018) claim
ha no ions as socio-emo ional p ocesses o ela ional space a e
a emp s o cap u e he e o s o pa icipan s o sus ain cohesi e
social in e ac ions.
Building on hese app oaches o he ole o emo ions, ou
s udy seeks o add knowledge o a gumen a ion s udies by
examining how p ese ice eache s build emo ional ension
while engaged in a gumen a ion in he con ex o decision-
making abou he dilemma o omni o ous s. ege a ian die s
(VDs). This SSI con ex was chosen by conside ing he g owing
conce ns on how o eed global popula ion (Food and Ag icul u e
O ganiza ion o he Uni ed Na ions (FAO), 2009), he long-
e m e ec o die s on heal h (In e na ional Agency o Resea ch
on Cance , 2015), and he en i onmen al impac o human
nu i ion. Al hough o decades he en i onmen al ocus has
been on ene gy sou ces and uses, a g owing a ea o esea ch
assesses he impac o die s on sus ainabili y (S eh es e al.,
2009; Thompson e al., 2013; Tilman and Cla k, 2014; Hyland
e al., 2017) and on clima e change. The In e go e nmen al
Panel on Clima e Change (IPCC, 2019) has issued a special
epo , including a chap e on ood secu i y, which a ibu es
abou 21–37% o o al g eenhouse gas emissions o he ood
sys em. In o de o educe his impac , he epo sugges s ha
heal hy and sus ainable die s should be high in ege ables and
low in animal p oduc s, such as mea , while acknowledging ha
die a y changes a e guided by social, cul u al, en i onmen al,
and adi ional ac o s; and hence ecognizing he in luence
o a ec i e dimensions ela ed o cul u e and adi ions. I
should be no ed ha en i onmen al dis up ion and in ensi e
li es ock p oduc ion a e also iden i ied as pa o he causes
in ol ed in he c oss-species ansmission o he co ona i us
in he co ona i us disease o 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (Cui
e al., 2019; IPBES, 2020); as Zheng-Li Shi, a leading expe on
co ona i us diseases, claimed on he WeCha : “The 2019 no el
co ona i us is a punishmen by na u e o humans’ unsani a y
li e s yles.”
Agains his backd op, he goal o ou s udy is o examine
in which ways emo ional ension ames he cons uc ion o
a gumen s abou ege a ian s. omni o ous die s (ODs) using
p ese ice eache s. The esea ch ques ion is:
In which way does emo ional ension ac as a p ocess o
aming in an a gumen a i e deba e?
Fi s , we discuss ecen app oaches o he ole o emo ions in
a gumen a ion; second, we p esen he da a sou ces and me hods;
and hi d, we discuss he indings and hei po en ial esea ch and
educa ional implica ions.
RATIONALE: EMOTIONS AND
ARGUMENTATION
A gumen a ion and decision-making abou SSI deal wi h
complex issues, demanding he conside a ion o di e en
dimensions and d awing om mul idisciplina y pe spec i es. In
many cases, hese a gumen s add ess open-ended dilemmas as
hey do no ha e a “bes ” solu ion ha can mee all equi emen s
om di e en dimensions. As Mo in e al. (2014) poin ed
ou , hese open-ended issues b ing ou he complexi ies and
unce ain ies embedded in ill-s uc u ed p oblems, e lec ing
social ep esen a ions and alue sys ems. In a gumen s abou
SSI, a ange o dimensions, besides scien i ic knowledge, such
as alues, e hical conce ns, cul u al habi s, o emo ions, a e
mobilized. Thus, SSI con ex s can be sui able o he s udy o
emo ions as a gumen a i e esou ces (Polo, 2014). We d aw
om he communica ion s udies ha de ine he aming as a
he o ical p ocess h ough which communica o s (consciously o
unconsciously) cons uc a poin o iew o p omo e a pa icula
in e p e a ion o ac s (Kuype s, 2009). Ou goal is o explo e
how emo ional ension may ac as a p ocess o aming in an
a gumen a i e deba e. Unde hese p emises, i s , we discuss
esea ch abou a gumen a ion and emo ions, and second, he
ele ance o discu si e con ex s in a gumen a ion.
A gumen a ion and Emo ional Tension
A is o le, in his Rhe o ic, unde lined ha emo ions a e
among he h ee means o pe suasion (e hos, pa hos, and
logos), and nowadays i is gene ally acknowledged ha
a gumen a ion in ol es bo h jus i ica ion and pe suasion
(Jiménez-Aleixand e and E du an, 2008). Howe e , he
ela ionship be ween a gumen a ion and emo ions has been,
o yea s, an unde s udied issue. Emo ions we e absen in he
seminal wo k o Toulmin (1958), one o he ounda ions o
he s udy o a gumen a ion in science educa ion. This gap may
be ela ed o a bias in lea ning esea ch owa d he cogni i e a
he expenses o he a ec i e (Bake e al., 2013b). Thus, Bake
e al. (2013a) pose ques ions such as how do in e pe sonal
ela ions, he ci cula ion o emo ions, and collabo a i e lea ning
in e ela e. In his pionee wo k abou emo ions, Plan in (2011)
ques ioned he an agonism be ween eason and emo ion,
wi h o igins in he s oic philosophe s, poin ing ou ha hey
a e insepa able. I should be no ed ha in he 17 h cen u y
Ba uch Spinoza (1677/2012) challenged he Ca esian mind-
body dualism, sugges ing a ela ionship be ween emo ions
and a ional decisions, a challenge ha caused his exclusion
om he Jewish communi y. The ele ance o Spinoza’s ideas
is being eapp aised in he ield o psychology o emo ions
(B own and S enne , 2001).
An inc easing in e es in he ole o he emo ions on he
a gumen a i e discou se has a isen, pa icula ly in he F ench
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 2June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 662141
Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
linguis ic adi ion, d awing om he wo k o G ize (1996)
and his no ion o schema iza ion, a discu si e ep esen a ion
o discou se objec s. Wi hin his adi ion, he e has been a
dis inc ion be ween emo ional, he au hen ic psychological
emo ions he pa icipan s may eel, and emo i e, wha is
discu si ely exp essed. Howe e , he e is no e idence ha
exp essed and el emo ions a e ac ually di e en (Polo
e al., 2017; He man and Se a is, 2019), so we will use
hem in e changeably. Acco ding o Voloshino (1986), he
ela ionship be ween discou se and emo ions is dialec ical,
and u e ances imply bo h an e alua i e s ance owa d
in e locu o s and an emo ional posi ioning. By discou se,
d awing om a sociolinguis ic pe spec i e, we mean no me ely
language in use, bu language si ua ed in ongoing sociocul u al
p ac ices wi h his o ies, discou ses, in e ex ual e e ences, and
social ela ionships o membe s o he ele an social g oup
(Kelly, 2021).
I should be no ed ha he ocus o ou s udy is nei he on
de e mining pa icipan s’ el emo ions, no on he alidi y o
hei a gumen s, bu a he on unde s anding how hey mobilize
he emo ions as a gumen a i e esou ces o a gumen a i e
pu poses wi hin he discou se, as p oposed by Plan in (2011),
and how, in doing so, hey sus ain socio-emo ional in e ac ions
(Isohä älä e al., 2018). This en ails me hodological challenges
as emo ions can be p esen in mul iple o ms in he discou se,
being equen ly implici (He man and Se a is, 2019). Plan in
(2011) sugges ed a need o mo ing beyond he lexical analysis in
o de o each he implici emo ional componen o he discou se
h ough he in e ences buil on cul u al s e eo ypes. We d aw
om his wo k abou ension in a gumen a ion (Plan in, 2019)
o analyze he ole o emo ions in pa icipan s’ a gumen a i e
exchanges in e ms o wha we call emo ional ension. He
cha ac e ized ension, om he poin o iew o a gumen a ion,
as “an ope a o showing ha he speake is highly in ol ed in
he speech and wan s o sha e he commi men s, ha is, wan s
o pe suade he audience” (Plan in, 2019, p. 348). Fu he mo e,
he poin ed ou ha “Tension a ia ion is he de ining ea u e o
emo ions in gene al—in discou se as in in e ac ions” (ibidem,
p. 362; Plan in’s i alics). The e o e, we sugges ha emo ional
ension is an adequa e e m o he analysis o hese in e ac ions,
as i was in ag eemen wi h Plan in (pe sonal communica ion).
The analy ical amewo k and he coding ca ego ies de i ed om
i a e discussed in he “Me hods” sec ion.
F aming hei wo k in collabo a i e lea ning, Bake e al.
(2013a) add essed he in e ela ionships among emo ions,
in e pe sonal ela ions, and lea ning in hei edi ed olume,
wi h one sec ion de o ed o a gumen a ion and emo ion. Wi hin
i , Mulle Mi za (2013) ocused on he ways in e locu o s in
a gumen a i e discussions may in e p e o ame disag eemen s
and con lic s, in o he wo ds on he con lic ual dimension o
a gumen a ion. She examined how hese con lic s may os e
o hinde epis emic a gumen a ion, sugges ing elemen s o he
design o a “ hinking space,” which c ea es oppo uni ies o he
in eg a ion o iden i y and a ec i e p ocesses in a gumen a i e
p ac ices. The ela ionships be ween epis emic, wha pa icipan s
a e saying, and in e pe sonal, how hey say i , dimensions
o a gumen a ion a e he ocus o As e han’s (2013) chap e ,
also paying pa icula a en ion o di e en a i udes owa d
con lic esolu ion, which esul in wo ypes o a gumen a i e
discou se, consensus seeking and ad e sa ial. As e han (2013, p.
255) poin ed ou how a ec i e conce ns “may di e s uden s’
a en ion away om he epis emic dimension o he con lic (a
con lic be ween ideas) and hea ily ocus on he in e pe sonal
dimension o he con lic (a con lic be ween pe sons).” This
may esul in a gumen a i e discou ses ei he oid o he c i ical
dimension, because he pa icipan s seek a quick consensus,
o oid o collabo a i e knowledge cons uc ion (ad e sa ial).
In he i s case, disag eemen wi h pee s may be pe cei ed as
hampe ing posi i e ela ionships and accep a ion. She sugges ed
he in e es o engaging s uden s in he discussions ha a e
bo h c i ical and co-cons uc i e, o he wise hey may expe ience
di icul ies in combining hese dimensions. This balance, o lack
he eo , is ele an o ou s udy. A gumen a i e discou se is
a sociocul u al p ac ice; B own and S enne (2001) discuss he
signi icance o Spinoza’s ideas o he s udies abou he social
cons uc ion o emo ions; o ins ance, he ension be ween
“wha migh be cha ac e ized as ‘ma e iali y’ and ‘ he wo k o
hough ”’ (p. 98), whe e ma e iali y co esponds o bodies and
hough o minds. Pe sonal emo ional p ocesses a e also in play
when engaging in a gumen a ion; o ins ance, Rich e and Maie
(2017) examine how eade s’ p io belie s may lead o a biased
p ocessing o con lic ing in o ma ion. The meaning o “belie s”
in he con ex o he ask is discussed below.
The place o iden i y and emo ions in a gumen a i e lea ning
has been add essed by Schwa z and Goldbe g (2013). In line
wi h Plan in’s (2011) app oach, hey conside ed iden i y and
emo ions as esou ces in his o ical easoning. Iden i y con lic s
in his o ical a gumen a ion o Spanish (Galician) high school
s uden s ha e been examined by López-Facal e al. (2015),
showing how na ional iden i ica ion in luenced hei a gumen s,
which we e di e en when he discou se objec was I eland
om when i was he Basque Coun y, a his o ical na ional
wi hin Spain ha was pe cei ed as a ec ing hei own na ional
iden i y. In ou s udy, pa icipan s’ Galician iden i y, mos ly
implici , is appealed o in hei a gumen s as discussed in he
indings. Al hough science issues ha e been conside ed “cold”
and una ec ed by emo ions, science educa ion esea ch has
shown he in luence o mo i a ional and a ec i e ac o s (Da ne ,
2019). Da ne , ocusing on science denial, called o a ecogni ion
o science opics as emo ionally laden, which is he case o die a y
choices. In science educa ion, A aamidou (2020) discussed he
p ocess o o ming a science iden i y, wi h an emphasis on
ecogni ion and emo ions, and she sugges ed ha emo ions can
o e a aluable lens o s udying inequali ies. In Hu nagel (2021),
iden i y is a e e ence poin o emo ions. In he p og am o
esea ch abou emo ional sense-making in he con ex o clima e
change, emo ions a e concei ed as e alua i e mechanisms ha
indica e pe sonal ele ance and deep ela ionship o ideas o
objec s (Hu nagel, 2015). He model o he analysis o emo ions
conside ed hem as social and si ua ed, poin ing ou ha
“emo ions a e no in e nal en i ies bu a ela ionship o a speci ic
e en , expe ience, idea, and so o h” (Hu nagel, 2019, p. 156).
Fo ou s udy, he iden i y ha ma e s is being Galician, on wo
dimensions: i s , he e alua ion o he impac o he adop ion
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
o a VD in Galician economy, whe e b eeding is e y impo an ;
second, on he conside a ion o ea ing mea as pa o he cul u al
iden i y o pa icipan s.
Being ele an o ou wo k, Isohä älä e al.’s (2018) s udy
discussed abou how s uden eache s, in he con ex o a
eache educa ion cou se on en i onmen al science, s uck a
balance be ween engaging in a gumen a ion and sus aining
socio-emo ional p ocesses a o able o i . They ound ha he
g oups sus ained a o able socio-emo ional p ocesses, bu mos ly
ailed o engage in a gumen a ion. The pa icipan s gene ally
e ained om c i ical discussions, accep ing each o he ’s claims
o conceding o di e gen claims wi hou a gumen a ion; he
challenging na u e o a gumen a ion may cause pa icipan s o
a end o socio-emo ional p ocesses a he expense o cogni i e
ones. This is a ques ion poin ed ou by As e han (2013) as
discussed abo e. The au ho s sugges ed he need o mo e s udies
om au hen ic “messy” lea ning con ex s.
As a summa y, he e is a g owing in e es in he in e wining
o emo ional and cogni i e p ocesses in a gumen a ion, a body
o esea ch o which his s udy seeks o con ibu e. Ou ocus
is on how emo ional ension ames a gumen a i e p ocesses
as i is one o he ways o explo ing he ole o emo ions
in a gumen a ion.
Discu si e Con ex o Decision-Making
Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos (2018) sugges ed ha
a gumen a i e ope a ions and p oduc s a e likely o di e
depending on discu si e con ex s speci ic o pedagogical
discu si e p ac ices, such as cons uc ing and e alua ing causal
explana ions, o making decisions, which is he one add essed
in his s udy. This is an analy ical ame concei ed o esea ch
pu poses, as in ac ual class oom se ings hese con ex s may
o e lap. While in he cons uc ion and e alua ion o causal
explana ions and models he aim is o choose he model ha is
bes suppo ed by e idence, decision-making is cha ac e ized
by he use o e idence in o de o make a decision o o choose
a cou se o ac ion. The e is a se o common ope a ions,
o ins ance, using app op ia e c i e ia o iden i ying and
e alua ing genuine e idence; iden i ying which e idence is
alid and ele an o he issue a s ake; conside ing mul iple
claims, heo ies, o op ions; o engaging wi h each o he ’s ideas,
suppo ing o challenging hem. Howe e , because cogni i e
and emo ional p ocesses a e si ua ed, o he ope a ions a e
pa icula ly ele an in a gi en con ex . Fo ins ance, gene a ing
ebu als is o ele ance o e is ic se ings when wo con as ed
a gumen s, some imes abou emo ionally cha ged issues, a e
opposed. Howe e , in coope a i e wo k in small g oups,
pa icipan s need o be able o concep ualize a gumen s di e en
om hei own, and a ma k o quali y may be he co-cons uc ion
o a gumen s among se e al pa icipan s (Jiménez-Aleixand e
e al., 2000). A dis inc ion be ween con ex s may be ha , in
decision-making, he discu si e pa h can p oceed om e idence
o claims, as, o ins ance, in he s udy o B a o-To ija and
Jiménez-Aleixand e (2018); while in he e alua ion o causal
explana ions he discussion p oceeds, in many cases, om he
al e na i e claims o he e idence suppo ing hem (Jiménez-
Aleixand e e al., 2000). In hei wo k abou shi s in epis emic
s a us in a gumen a ion, Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos (2018)
sugges ed ha in he con ex o de eloping explana ions and
models, he ocus is a he on he indi idual lea ne whe eas
in decision-making he ocus is on he pa icipan s in a social
in e ac ion. Fu he mo e, while plausibili y is a ele an ea u e
in e alua ing explana ions and models, in decision-making
he ocus is on accep abili y “which indica es no only he
deg ee o easibili y o he op ions conside ed, in ligh o he
a ailable e idence and p e ious ideas, bu also hei acco dance
wi h pe sonal and social alues” (Jiménez-Aleixand e and
B ocos, 2018, p. 174–175). Thus, o ins ance, pa icipan s
may belie e o no ha ca ying ou a speci ic op ion—as,
in his s udy, he VD—i is indi idually o socially possible;
and o doing so hey ha e o ake in o accoun i he op ion
is consis en o no consis en wi h o he concep ions and
alues indi idually o socially accep ed, such as hose a ached
o di e en cul u es and adi ions in a gi en con ex . These
belie s in he plausibili y o a gi en op ion may in luence
how hey e alua e in o ma ion (Rich e and Maie , 2017),
while hei Galician iden i y is a e e ence poin o emo ions
(Hu nagel, 2021), and may inc ease he emo ional ension in his
decision-making con ex .
DATA SOURCES AND METHODS
Me hodological App oach, Pa icipan s,
and Lea ning Con ex
This s udy adop s a quali a i e me hod app oach, seeking o
analyze educa ional case s udies h ough exp essions and ac ions
in hei local con ex s (Denzin and Lincoln, 2013). Quali a i e
app oaches a e app op ia e o s udy p ocesses and e alua ion
p ac ices (C eswell, 2013). I makes pa o a wide s udy
wi h 85 p ese ice p ima y eache s (PST). S udies on he
challenges expe ienced by eache s o suppo ing hei s uden s’
engagemen in a gumen a ion and SSI a e limi ed, in compa ison
wi h he s udies on s uden s (E ago ou and Puig, 2017). In
his pape , we analyze he a gumen s o a small g oup o ou
PST in which all pa icipan s ag eed o be eco ded. They
we e en olled in a science educa ion cou se augh by he
i s au ho , engaging in asks abou he e idence e alua ion,
c i e ia o s ong a gumen s, and balanced die s; hey sough
he in o ma ion abou dimensions (en i onmen al, e hical,
nu i ional, economic, o cul u al) o die s, sha ed h ough a
wiki, and cons uc ed a gumen s in small g oups, o med by
hem, abou sus ainable and heal hy die s. The design o he
eaching sequence is discussed in de ail by B ocos and Jiménez-
Aleixand e (2020). Ou s is a bilingual con ex , whe e bo h co-
o icial languages, Galician and Spanish, a e used in e changeably
and ully unde s ood by all ac o s. The ex s and deba es ha e
been ansla ed in o English by he au ho s.
Pa icipan s a e iden i ied wi h pseudonyms, beginning wi h
he le e o hei small g oup. In g oup B, he e we e h ee males
and a emale (Bea); hei ages in yea s being 21 (Bo ja), 24 (Bea),
38 (B eixo), and 43 (Blas). While he ages o he wo younge ones
we e in co espondence o he mean age o he whole class, he
o he wo we e signi ican ly olde .
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
TABLE 1 | Coding ca ego ies: a ia ions in emo ional ension (d awing om And iessen e al., 2011; Plan in, 2011, 2019).
Tension Ca ego ies Cha ac e iza ion Examples
High emo ional
ension
Li e-dea h Re e ences o li e a e amed as posi i e,
e e ences o dea h as nega i e.
292 Blas: you can’ die you sel o sa e he
animals, ma e.
In e jec ions/exclama ions Exclama o y s a emen s, cu sing, ising
in ona ion.
74 Blas: Damni !
In e up ions Pa icipan s in e up ing each o he . 225 B eixo [in e up ing] Bu , I mean,
implici ly…
Radicaliza ion All-o -no hing a gumen s ejec ing
comp omises, excluding coun e -discou se.
124 Blas: Fo ins ance, eganism seems
abe an o me.
Rhe o ical ques ions Ques ions ha bo h challenge and gi e no
oice o he opponen ; p e end o exp ess a
sha ed knowledge.
344 Blas: i has always been mo e e hical o
hun a abbi in he wild han keeping 20,000
abbi s he e locked up, all dejec ed, isn’ i ?
Medium emo ional
ension
Dis ance/closeness Place dis ance/closeness, and people
dis ance/closeness (iden i y).
35 Bea: i [ ege a ian die ] is o many people,
hen… Galician economy would be damaged
Taking s ance Exp ession o a posi ion, claim. 46 Blas: I is a die comple ely in a o o mea
consump ion […]
Coun e claim Opposi ion o a claim. 116 B eixo: No, lac o ege a ian you don’ ea
mea .
Reques ing cla i ica ion Asking abou meaning/abou e idence. 156 B eixo: Omni o ous die . A gumen s o i ?
Which a e you da a?
Impac /Consequences Desi abili y o no o he consequences ( eal o
expec ed) o he si ua ion.
26 Bea: Bu i e e ybody chooses he
ege a ian op ion, i would a ec Galicia
nega i ely.
Low emo ional
ension/Nego ia ion
Seeking comp omise, nego ia ing Looking o a posi ion ha would be
accep able o bo h sides.
132 Bea: You can also be pa ially ege a ian.
Summa izing Recapi ula ing in o ma ion o posi ions. 147 Blas: en i onmen al impac [o mea die ]
[…] mo e g eenhouse gases
Focusing, Building Di ec ing deba e o he ask goals and
adequa e p ocedu es
275 B eixo: Yes, I ag ee, bu … we need o
suppo i in a gumen .
Cla i ying Explaining meanings o posi ions 154 Blas: Fish… maybe.
Acknowledging
con ibu ions, con i ming, ag eeing
Recognizing o alida ing ideas and inpu s, 218 B eixo: Fine, [wha Blas said] hen I w i e…
mea indus y would be educed, and
compensa ed wi h inc ease in ag o-indus y.
Pa icipan s we e asked o cons uc an a gumen abou which
die hey would conside o be be e . The handou is ep oduced
in Annex 1 (see Supplemen a y Ma e ials). In o de o build
ha a gumen , hey we e di ec ed o use a complex da a se ,
consis ing o hei own selec ion o in o ma ion, collec ed in
a wiki, as well as i e addi ional handou s elabo a ed by he
esea che s, one o each dimension (cul u al, en i onmen al,
economic, e hical, and nu i ional). These addi ional handou s
we e p oduced o ensu e ha o each dimension he e is
a ailable in o ma ion suppo ing di e en and e en con lic ing
choices (Jiménez-Aleixand e e al., 2019).
Da a Collec ion and Rub ic o Analysis
Da a collec ion, h ough imme sion o he second au ho as
a pa icipan obse e , included pa icipan s’ w i en p oduc s
(indi idual p e es , po olios, g oup inal essay), ideo eco ding,
and semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h h ee o he ou pa icipan s
(Blas, 32:54; Bea, 40:54; and B eixo, 48:3) 1 yea la e , a e hey
had ead he ull ansc ip ion o he deba e. Fo he pu pose o
his pape , he co pus comp ises he ideo eco ding o a 90-min
session de o ed o cons uc he a gumen , hei inal essay, and
he in e iews.
Discou se was analyzed by using cons an compa a i e
analysis (Glase and S auss, 1967). The uni o analysis is he
u n o speech, de ined as each in e en ion by he pa icipan s.
Tu ns we e g ouped in o episodes and de ined as one o se e al
u ns o speech ela ed o he same opic o ac ion (Gee, 2014);
in his g oup we g ouped u ns in o 10 episodes. Rub ics and
coding ca ego ies eme ged om he in e ac ion o he heo e ical
ame wi h da a in successi e i e a ions. T ansc ip ions o he
o al deba e and he w i en essay we e analyzed by bo h au ho s,
ini ial epe oi es o ca ego ies d awing om he li e a u e we e
elabo a ed, and en a i e codes we e independen ly assigned o
each uni .
Emo ional ension was examined, p ima ily by analyzing i s
a ia ions, and seconda ily by conside ing he use o hemes
ca ying a ec i e weigh . In o de o analyze he a ia ions
in emo ional ension, we cons uc ed a epe oi e, syn hesized
in Table 1, dis ibu ing he coding ca ego ies in High (H),
Medium (M), and Low (L) emo ional ension. The epe oi e
d aws om:
•Plan in (2019) componen s o ension, such as adicaliza ion o
a gumen s (H), in e jec ions (H), and he o ical ques ions (H).
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
•Plan in (2011) ca ego ies o emo ional posi ioning, which he
conside s an axis o he emo i e cons uc ion o he discou se,
ep esen ing he e alua ion o a discou se objec on a pleasan –
unpleasan con inuum, such as li e-dea h (H) and impac -
consequences (M). Also, we include one ca ego y o emo ional
in ensi y—a second axis o he emo i e cons uc ion—
dis ance (M), on a con inuum om close o a , which may
e e o a place o o he pe sonal dis ance o pa icipan s.
•And iessen e al.’s (2011) c i e ia o socio-cogni i e ension
and elaxa ion, such as in e up ing (H), aking s ance (M),
coun e claim (M), eques ing cla i ica ion (M), comp omise (L),
ocusing, and building (L).
•Au ho s’ ca ego ies, such as summa izing (L), cla i ying (L),
and con i ming,acknowledging con ibu ions om o he s (L).
I should be no ed ha he dis ibu ion o ca ego ies o
emo ional ension in h ee le els is a simpli ica ion; on one
hand, some ca ego ies a e be e seen as a con inuum be ween
inc easing and dec easing ension. On he o he hand, he
signi icance o ce ain u e ances is dependen on he ask and
he speci ic momen - o-momen in e ac ions. The pu pose is
o cap u e he o e all ension o each episode. Plan in (2011)
iden i ied he cul u al con en ions ha emo ionally ame he
discou se. Fo ins ance, we can a gue ha concep ualizing
an e en as being close in e ms o place, like i is he
case wi h Galicia in his s udy, leads o s onge emo ional
esponse. Simila ly, p esen ing a si ua ion as going agains widely
ecognized social iden i ies (people closeness) may lead o an
unpleasan emo ional a mosphe e. The ca ego ies o a ia ions
in emo ional ension and hei cha ac e iza ion a e summa ized
in Table 1, wi h ins ances om ou da a.
The emo i e aming o he issue, cha ac e ized h ough hese
ca ego ies, con igu es a ce ain emo ional a mosphe e o he
deba e, om highe ension, mo e e is ic, o lowe ension,
associa ed wi h nego ia ion.
The use o hemes ca ying a ec i e weigh was analyzed
by d awing om Plan in (2011),Polo (2014), and om he
ollowing wo ca ego ies de eloped by Hu nagel (2015, 2019):
abou ness, e e ing o he objec s o emo ion, and ype o eeling.
Ke b ach -O ecchioni (1980) discussed a ec i e subs an i es and
adjec i es, which enuncia e bo h ea u es o he objec as well
as “une éac ion emo ionnelle du suje pa lan en ace de ce
objec ” (p. 84). Supplemen a y Table 1 summa izes he hemes
appealed o by each pa icipan . The selec ed hemes sa is ied
ei he o he ollowing c i e ia: (a) h ee o mo e men ions;
(b) s ong in ensi y; o (c) pleasan –unpleasan posi ioning. On
he in ensi y axis, he mo e equen heme ca ying emo i e
weigh was “supplemen s,” wi h 23 men ions; he heme “pills”
was men ioned in i e occasions, and i was coded sepa a ely
because o i s seman ic associa ion wi h medicine and illness.
Second in equency is a clus e o “mea educ ion,” wi h 11
men ions, opposed by he claim ha VD implies no mea a all
(7). Closeness o he pa icipan s e idenced, o ins ance, by he
use o i s and second pe son, and by di ec e e ences o Galicia,
was also used.
On he emo i e posi ioning axis, “e hical” has he highes
equency, 21 e e ences, al hough, as discussed below in
ela ion o episode ou , in some cases i seems a i ual
in oca ion a he han a deep e lec ion on he issue. Second
and hi d in equency a e wo clus e s: he second, si ua ed
on he pleasan side, conce ns “a gumen ,” “e idence,” and
“c i e ia,” wi h 19 e e ences, exp essing alignmen wi h he
no ms o good a gumen s; he hi d, a ound “dea h,” “ o kill,”
and “slaugh e house,” is loca ed on he unpleasan side, wi h
nine e e ences.
DATA ANALYSIS—FINDINGS:
FLUCTUATIONS OF EMOTIONAL TENSION
Analyzing he a ia ions in emo ional ension in he
a gumen a i e deba e p o ided oppo uni ies o a be e
unde s anding o he in e wining o cogni i e and emo i e
p ocesses. Be o e desc ibing he indings, we summa ize he
ela i e pa icipa ion o he ou g oup membe s, which was
une en. The e a e 356 u ns o speech in he session, 348 lea ing
ou eigh cla i ica ions by he ins uc o and he esea che
( i s and second au ho ). F om hese, Bo ja made only nine,
while he o he h ee had, espec i ely, 125 (Blas), 122 (B eixo),
and 92 (Bea). Bo ja’s u e ances we e ba ely subs an i e, asking
ques ions abou ask p ocedu es o exp essing ag eemen ; o
his eason, he analysis emphasizes he con e sa ion o he h ee
membe s who con ibu ed signi ican ly.
Fluc ua ion o Emo ional Tension Ac oss
Episodes
We begin wi h an o e iew o he emo ional ension ac oss
episodes. Table 2 summa izes he dis ibu ion o he session in
episodes, he con en o opics o each episode, and he numbe
o H, M, and L ension u ns in each one. As he numbe o u ns
is une en, we p o ide he pe cen age in o de o gi e an idea o
he emo ional clima e in he episodes. I may be obse ed ha ,
o 6 ou o he 10 episodes, mo e u ns— om 74.3 o 41.2%—a e
coded as L; in one episode, L and M a e ied; in wo episodes—
second and nin h—M a e mo e equen ; and, in he las episode,
H domina es. In o he wo ds, ension ends o inc ease as he
deba e mo es o wa d.
Cen al and Suppo ing A gumen s
The e is a cen al a gumen unning ac oss he 10 episodes,
which opposes he wo op ions o clus e s o op ions, OD and
omni o ous educing mea (OR) s. ege a ian (VD) and egan
(VG) die s. OD was p oposed and jus i ied by Blas and Bea, wi h
suppo om Bo ja; and VD by B eixo, who appealed o e idence
poin ing o he bene i s o VD o heal h, he en i onmen , and
animal well-being. He some imes de ended VG, a he o he
sake o he a gumen , conside ing ha i was no his pe sonal
op ion, as he made explici in he in e iew. The OD p oposal,
om episodes one o h ee, e ol ed o OR when Blas (112)
sugges ed i .
The o he i e a gumen s a e conside ed as seconda y,
suppo ing he cen al one. F om hese, he mo e equen ,
in six episodes, deal wi h he social s. pe sonal cha ac e o
he choice, jus i ying OD on he basis ha VD would no be
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
TABLE 2 | Le el o ension in each episode.
Episode ( u ns) Con en Coded u ns Emo ional ension # u ns %
1 (1–48) Ag eeing on ask goals 43 H 0 -
M 14 32.68
L29 67.4
2 (49–87) Discussing nu i ion da a 39 H 5 12.8
M21 53.8
L 13 33.3
3 (88–105) Social s. pe sonal choice 17 H 5 29.4
M 5 29.4
L741.2
4 (106–146) P oposing in e media e op ions: OR 39 H 8 20.5
M 13 33.3
L18 46.2
5 (147–179) Wha is you e idence? 31 H 3 9.7
M 11 35.5
L17 54.8
6 (180–220) Weighing economic impac o VD o Galicia 39 H 1 2.6
M 9 23
L29 74.3
7 (221–247) Nego ia ing OR op ion 25 H 7 28
M936
L936
8 (248–280) Discussing e hical dimension 23 H 5 21.7
M 7 30.5
L11 47.8
9 (281–337) Disag eemen OR s. VD 49 H 14 28.6
M19 38.8
L 16 32.6
10 (338–356) Can OR be e hical? 17 H12 70.6
M 3 17.6
L 2 11.8
OD, Omni o ous Die ; OR, Omni o ous Reducing Mea ; VD, Vege a ian Die ; VG, Vegan Die . Coded u ns, excluded he ones om he esea che s and he inaudible o neu al. The
bold alues in column 5 ep esen he highes ca ego y in each episode.
adequa e o a whole socie y; ad anced by Bea as ea ly as in
u n 24, was hen backed by Blas. The second in equency,
in ou episodes, ini ia ed by B eixo, a gued ha VG could be
nu i ionally adequa e wi h he use o supplemen s, which was
s ongly opposed by Blas; hen he a gumen e ol ed o he
issue o whe he supplemen s could be conside ed “ ood” o no ,
“na u al” o no , and hence i such VG, in ol ing supplemen s,
should be socially p omo ed.
A hi d suppo ing a gumen was con ex ualized in Galicia—
he au onomous egion whe e he uni e si y is loca ed—and i
jus i ied OD in he damages o Galician economy o a adical
educ ion o mea in akes. In he economy handou , pa o
he da a se p o ided, he e is in o ma ion abou he weigh
o b eeding (66.6%) o e ag icul u e (28.7%) in he li es ock-
a ming complex in Galicia, as well as he ele ance o he ood
indus y in Galician expo s. This a gumen was explici ly ca ied
ou in h ee episodes. The emaining wo suppo ing a gumen s
we e no always explici al hough hey we e unde lying a g ea
deal o he deba e: he ele ance acco ded o nu i ion o e
o he dimensions in opposi ion o e hical conce ns, and he
cul u al weigh o OD and ea ing mea , in con as wi h B eixo’s
insis ence in equi ing e idence o OR. Figu e 1 ep esen s he
six a gumen s.
The ansi ion om p oposing OD o OR, in episode ou , may
illus a e how se e al a gumen a i e lines and emo i e mo es a e
in e wined in he discou se o pa icipan s:
108 B eixo: You, which die … which die seems mo e adequa e?
Which one would you de end?
L
109 Bea: Huh… A i s glance I would de end he omni o ous
one.
M
110 B eixo: Omni o ous. You? [ o Blas] L
111 Bea: [in e up ing] Bu , wai , I would like o add… H
112 Blas: Huh, omni o ous bu wi h highe ege a ian p esence, a
lac o- ege a ian o some hing… a e y occasional mea
consump ion…
L
113 Bea: [a he same ime] Yes, su e, pe haps wi h highe mea
educ ion
L
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
FIGURE 1 | Main wo a gumen s opposing omni o ous die (OD)/omni o ous
educing mea (OR) o ege a ian die (VD)/ egan die (VG) and suppo ing
a gumen s.
114 B eixo: Bu , look, hen i is omni o ous… look,
lac o- ege a ian is no omni o ous.
M
115 Blas: Huh… okay, no, bu … M
116 B eixo: No, lac o- ege a ian you do no ea mea . L
117 Bea: Bu wi h mea educ ion. M
118 Blas: [in e up ing] No, you ea [sic] milk o … educing mea ,
omni o ous die , yes.
H
119 B eixo: Su e, wha I hink is… -
120 Bea: Wi h a… h ough an e hical and a ional hinking and
pe haps educing he amoun o mea in die s…
M
121 B eixo: Bu hen… bu hen ha is omni o ous. L
122 Bea: Yes. L
123 B eixo: You [ o Blas] a e no saying omni o ous. M
124 Blas: No, bu nei he am I comple ely saying, I am no
saying… o ins ance, eganism seems abe an o me.
H
B eixo asked e e yone o make explici hei choices, which
should be implici ly jus i ied in da a abou he impac o each
die in heal h and nu i ional needs, as p e iously discussed.
This p omp ed Bea and Blas o s a e hei OD choice, and o
p opose a educ ion o mea consump ion, implici ly aking in o
accoun ha nu i ional da a poin ed o heal h isks o OD
wi h a high mea in ake. This a gumen a i e mo e is in e p e ed
as an o e o nego ia ion, seeking a consensus. Howe e , in a
he o ical mo e, his OR die was “suga coa ed” by Blas (112)
unde he e m “lac o- ege a ian.” This o igina ed an exchange
abou i s meaning wi h B eixo, who appealed o he c i e ion
o he p esence o absence o mea . Fu he mo e, Bea (120)
suppo ed OR wi h ano he he o ical mo e quali ying mea
educ ion as “e hical and a ional hinking,” which is in e p e ed
as in oducing emo i e ones. We dis inguish hese nominal
appeals o e hics om ac ual deba es abou he e hical dimension,
in e ms o animals’ well-being, which will be add essed la e .
As a summa y, Bea and Blas cen al a gumen “OD is he mo e
adequa e” was suppo ed in wo ways: i s , using he modi ied
claim “omni o ous educing he amoun o mea ”—which would
implici ly add ess c i icisms o heal h isks and en i onmen al
damage de i ed om a egula OD—la e e en labeled as “lac o-
ege a ian”; and second, in a gene ic appeal o e hical hinking.
In episode 4, low ension (L) p edomina es as i happens in six
ou o he i s eigh episodes.
A epea ed suppo ing a gumen jus i ied OD on he basis
ha VD would no be socially adequa e. I was i s ad anced
by Bea (26) in episode one, appealing o he impac o VD on
Galician economy, coded as M, place closeness, and i s ele ance
was acknowledged by B eixo.
26 Bea: Su e, because o ins ance. .. he e [handou ] i ells
abou Galician economy, does i ? Abou die s huh... wha
happens? Tha o ins ance eading abou ecology, ege a ian is
be e . I mean, i is he one less ha ming o he plane , ha is
wha hey say in his documen . Bu i e e ybody would choose
he ege a ian op ion, i would a ec Galicia nega i ely. Then, i
is no he same ha we would decide a die o all o pe sonally.
Bea’s a gumen had a double-edged claim ha exempli ies he
con lic ing na u e o SSI, which is a scien i ic ques ion wi h social
consequences. Ra he han an explici de ense o OD, he claim
was a c i icism o VD, jus i ied in he nega i e e ec s o Galician
economy i VD becomes widely adop ed; despi e acknowledging
ha VD is be e o he en i onmen . This emo i e aming
has a s ong place-closeness componen . In episode h ee, he
o ien a ion changed om damage o economy owa d he social
impossibili y o aking supplemen s: Bea’s u e ance (95) is coded
as H, a he o ical ques ion:
95 Bea: Would you [ o B eixo], o socie y, p omo e a die
ha would equi e supplemen s? Ra he han a balanced die ha
would ha e ood...
Al hough in episodes one and h ee he e is a highe equency
o L u e ances, he issue o supplemen s esu aced again in
episode se en in a heigh ened one; in ha episode, L and M a e
ied wi h nine u ns each, and he e a e se en H u ns:
224 Bea: Huh… I belie e ha i you a e going o ecommend
some hing, I mean, i i we e a pe sonal decision I wouldn’ mind,
in ac I some imes ake supplemen s, al hough I am no
ege a ian, bu …
M
225 B eixo [in e up ing] Bu , I mean, implici ly… H
226 Bea:… o p omo e i as some hing social, I wouldn’ p omo e
some hing ha would need complemen s o be…
M
227 B eixo: Fine, bu why? Because implici ly you a e ecognizing
ha i is a pain in he ass o deal wi h supplemen s… o why?
H
228 Bea: Bu no because i is a pain in he ass, bu because he
die ha I am ecommending has de ici s and needs om o he
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Jiménez-Aleixand e and B ocos Emo ional Tension in A gumen a ion
hings, om, e … he chemis o as he pha macy o …
(…)
H
235 Blas: [in e up ing] Imagine, o ell people ha om now on…
imagine we a e he minis y and we we e in a banana epublic…
om hose ha we could impose wha people ea , wouldn’ be?
Su e, o ell people ha we a e going o ha e a die wi h… ha
hey need o go o he pha macy o buy supplemen s… i seems
o me some hing…
H
A e he deba e abou supplemen s, he ocus o he social-
pe sonal dilemma shi ed o he need o hem, in a mo e
o e lapping VGs—which need supplemen s—wi h VDs—which
do no . B eixo (227) c i icized he jus i ica ion, which he
conside ed o a p ac ical na u e, no nu i ional. Blas (235)
heigh ened he emo ional ension: i s , compa ing hypo he ical
ecommenda ions o imposi ions o a banana epublic and
second, opposing ood o p oduc s bough in pha macies. I
should be no ed ha he imp obabili y o a mass adop ion o VD
was no discussed.
Emo ional Tension as a P ocess o F aming
In he pa icipan s’ discou se, luc ua ions in emo ional ension
in e ac ed wi h he e alua ion o e idence ac oss a ange o
dimensions. We ocus p ima ily on he building o a ame
ha o ien ed he consensus and he conclusions s a ed in hei
inal essay, and seconda ily on he use o hemes ca ying
a ec i e weigh .
The emo i e building o a ame h ough an in e ac ion
be ween emo ional ension and e idence may be illus a ed by
he appeals o e hical issues. I ep esen s a con lic be ween wo
no ms ha a e di icul o econcile: he conside a ion o mea
as he s anda d die , and e hical p inciples ha would es ablish
he undesi abili y o mis ea ing o killing animals. E hics we e
i s in oked by Bea in episode ou , u n 120 ( ep oduced abo e),
when she p oposes a educ ion in mea consump ion. She u he
de elops his issue la e in he same episode:
144 Bea: I am saying some hing a ied, [ea ing] a li le bi o
e e y hing. Bu wi h… wi h a ionali y, I mean wi hou
slaugh e houses ha cause… excessi e su e ing o animals, o
alue he… he e hical dimension… a li le bi o e e y hing wi h
a ionali y.
H
145 Blas… [in e up ing] And in ensi e ishe ies exploi a ion… H
146 Bea: I… I mean, I don‘ know whe he he bes op ion would
be he ege a ian one, bu o me… in my iew… uck, I’ e been
ea ing mea all my li e and… I belie e ha i you do i wi h
a ionali y and esponsibili y, i could be a good op ion o socie y
[ ising in ona ion on “socie y”].
H
Bea and Blas’ choice o OR was implici ly based on he e idence
abou en i onmen al and nu i ional impac o OD discussed in
episodes 1–3. These pieces o e idence, as he one men ioned by
Blas, a e modula ed by he in e ac ion wi h alues and emo ions,
such as he e hical dimension (Bea, 144), wi h a speci ic e e ence
o animal su e ing and o slaugh e houses, which ca y an
unpleasan emo i e weigh . She u he con inued (146) by laying
ou he a gumen : he choice o OR is based on he suppo ing
a gumen “good op ion o socie y.” The jus i ica ions o his
second claim we e explici ly o cul u al and emo ional na u e
“I’ e been ea ing mea all my li e,” and he claim is ein o ced by
he cu se, he ising in ona ion, and implici ly by he an icipa ed
impac o VD o Galician economy. All hese u e ances a e coded
as high ension (H). The in e wining o emo ions and e idence
in he a gumen a e ep esen ed in Figu e 2.
The con lic be ween wo se s o alues, e hical and cul u al-
emo ional, is ca ied ou o he las episodes, 8–10, when
emo ional ension eached i s peak:
250 Blas: Well, e hical dimension, which is ou s… we alk abou
Pe e Singe […] om wo o se e al ways o eeding ou sel es we
should choose he one causing less ha m, shouldn’ we? Which
is…
M
251 B eixo: The e o e he egan one, igh ? H
252 Blas: Su e, he e i would op o egan ones, bu huh… bu
we canno open an e hical eason a he expense o one… o a
nu i ional a gumen .
M
253 B eixo: How? M
256 Blas: Then we need o a end o nu i ion, which is impo an .
Su e, i is, why do we ea ? Why do we ha e a die ? Why do we
eed ou sel es? In o de o… gain some hing, wha e e hey a e.
Then, in his sense, I mean, we should con empla e e hics, bu
wi h p io i y o…
H
259 Bea:… i [omni o ous die ] would be missing a mo e e hical
use ha he one i has oday and… I mean, i is no he mos
pe ec op ion om an e hical pe spec i e, bu …
M
261 Bea: Su e, because o me is much mo e e hical o kill [lowe s
he oice] an animal in o de o ea i and o use i s skin o clo hes
han o kill i only o… o ake lea he , o hings […] I belie e ha i
is uly mo e e hical i you sac i ice an animal, make he mos o i s
use comple ely…
H
267 Blas: Yes, yes, we ha e he e a p oblem o e hics agains
nu i ion.
L
In his exce p om episode 8, Blas explici ly acknowledged he
con lic be ween nu i ion and e hics, claiming ha hey should
gi e p io i y o nu i ion, wi h a he o ical ques ion (256). Bea, in
he e o s o build a suppo ing a gumen o an OR, con inued
o de elop no ions abou mo e o less “e hical” ways o killing
animals; i may be no ed ha she lowe s he oice when saying
“ o kill” (261), a guably ashamed o acknowledging ha ea ing
implies killing.
In episode nine he deba e was being amed in a li e-dea h
opposi ion, a e B eixo challenged he o he h ee membe s, who
de ended OR, o jus i y in which way ha op ion would sa is y he
e hical c i e ia o adequa ely ea ing animals:
291 B eixo: Ok, ok, bu e hically…? Why… why a educed
omni o ous die ? Because you a e s ill ea ing animals.
M
292 Blas: Because… man, I ea some animals, bu … you can’
die you sel o sa e he animals, ma e. Tha ’s… phew!
H
293 B eixo: Bu who is alking abou dying… H
294 [ hey speak simul aneously, inaudible] –
295 B eixo: Bu i has been p o ed ha you won’ die i you don’
ea animals. I mean, he e a e egan people ou he e in he wo ld.
H
F on ie s in Psychology | www. on ie sin.o g 9June 2021 | Volume 12 | A icle 662141
