How Messaging Shapes Attitudes toward Sea Otters as a Species at Risk

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15327520
AutoresAlejandra Echeverri (0000-0002-8821-0509, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, autor correspondente), Kai M A Chan (0000-0002-7804-3276, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Jiaying Zhao (0000-0002-6009-0568, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Ano2017
Volume22
Fascículo2
Páginas142-156
Data de publicação2017-01-10
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoHuman Dimensions of Wildlife (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1087-1209 • E-ISSN: 1533-158X
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10871209.2016.1272146
OpenAlexW2568794129
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas46

To address the drivers of biodiversity loss, conservation efforts must attend to public attitudes toward endangered species. Using sea otters as a species at risk, we examined how messaging shapes people’s attitudes toward this species. Participants viewed a message about sea otters that was either positive (sea otters as keystone species), negative (resource conflict with local fishermen), or neutral (biological facts). The impact of the message on people’s attitudes was measured using Kellert’s typology of basic attitudes toward wildlife. We found that the negative message promoted people’s interests in the practical value of sea otters (utilitarian-consumption attitudes), their habitats (utilitarian-habitat attitudes), and control over sea otters (dominionistic attitudes), even though the negative message was perceived as less convincing and believable than positive or neutral messages. The positive message decreased utilitarian-consumption attitudes, and the neutral message decreased utilitarian-habitat attitudes. Our findings suggested that messaging can influence public attitudes toward wildlife

Biology · Endangered species · Geography · Habitat · Wildlife · Animal and Plant Science Education · Animal Behavior and Reproduction · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology