How Information About the Root Causes of Hunger Shapes Attitudes Regarding Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is often understood as an issue of individual failure rather than systemic barriers. In collaboration with Metro Caring, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing hunger and food insecurity, students in the course “Psychology of Inequality” conducted an experiment to test how information about the root causes of hunger shapes attitudes regarding food insecurity. 

This community-engaged project focused on five key root causes of hunger: corporate food systems, unaffordable housing, inadequate healthcare, inadequate public benefits, and the racial wealth gap. With an online sample of 312 participants, students tested the effectiveness of different message frames to determine which root cause resonates most with Colorado residents. The goal of our community partner was to better understand how to reduce individual blame for food insecurity and encourage greater public support for systemic solutions. 

As a first step in this project, students visited Metro Caring to learn more about their initiatives, their services, and their facilities. With this understanding, students then worked through every stage of the research process—from survey design to data analysis and interpretation. They tested whether exposure to information on different root causes influenced beliefs about hunger and food insecurity, measuring support for policies such as expanded public benefits, affordable housing protections, and wage increases. The results, which students presented both in an oral format and in a written 40+ page report, provided Metro Caring with insights that can help the organization refine its advocacy and outreach efforts to better engage the community in fighting food insecurity. 

Beyond the research itself, this project offered students an opportunity to apply psychological concepts to real-world social issues, which made the work more meaningful. They also gained experience in experimental design, statistical analysis, and community-based research, as well as the ability to communicate data-driven recommendations to a non-academic audience. Here are some quotes from students about their experience: 

“Overall, this project helped me grasp the research process in a more in-depth way and gave me a better understanding of the amount of effort that it takes.” - Rebecca Mason 

“When I worked on the Metro Caring research project, I knew I had both teammates and community partners depending on my work. After many years of only doing school for good grades and often thinking long term to the next education opportunity or job, this experience prevented burnout for me.” - Hallie Crawford 

Additionally, this collaboration strengthened university-community ties, demonstrating how academic research can contribute to public good initiatives in meaningful and impactful ways. By sharing these findings with Metro Caring, students directly contributed to shaping evidence-based strategies for mobilizing public support for hunger relief policies. This project highlighted for students how psychological research can inform advocacy and drive social change.