The Social Representations of Zoo Goers toward Crocodiles and Turtles
Structural Analysis and Implications for Conservation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5935896 |
|---|---|
| Authors | João Neves (0000-0002-9404-0745, Instituto Português de Malacologia, corresponding author), Jean-Christophe Giger (0000-0002-4184-1741, University of Algarve), Vasco Alves (Instituto Português de Malacologia), Joana Almeida (0000-0002-1069-1883, Instituto Português de Malacologia) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 12 |
| Pages | 571 |
| Publication date | 2022-12-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/socsci11120571 |
| OpenAlex | W4311532806 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 39 |
Zoos have changed dramatically over the last century and today attract millions of people worldwide, being places where visitors can closely watch wildlife and learn about the species on display. Although present at most zoos, reptiles are challenging animals in terms of visitor interest and engagement, as some species do not fit aesthetic standards from the human standpoint, have culturally negative perceptions or generate aversive emotions. By studying zoo visitors' social representations of crocodiles and turtles, we aimed to detail their structures, as well as identifying their prototypical elements that help to understand their emotional and cognitive framing. The findings show the crocodile's prototypical image as a big, fearsome predator with teeth as its main physical attribute. Male visitors showed a more emotional perception of this animal. The turtle's prototypical image is a slow, hard-shelled ancestral sea animal with a neutral-to-positive set of traits, with no particular differences between genders. Our results shed a more detailed light on some of the social constructs that make up the mental images of these animals, which can help the zoological community direct communication toward a more fluent conversation between stakeholders toward conservation
Biology · Conversation · Crocodile · Framing (construction · Geography · Perception · Set (abstract data type · Turtle (robot · Visitor pattern · Wildlife · Animal and Plant Science Education · Animal Behavior and Reproduction · Communication · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Ecology
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| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |