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Issue 10.2 Abstracts

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The Connection to Other Animals and Caring for Nature

By Joanne Vining

In an era in which natural resources are under unprecedented pressure, it is vital to ask how the human relationships with the natural world might be improved. One avenue of inquiry is to explore whether there is a relationship between caring for a non-human animal, for a species, and for an ecosystem and whether this relationship may be a key to encouraging resource conservation and environmental protection. In most occidental industrialized societies, interest in domestic and wild animals is intense. Despite a wealth of research on human-wildlife interactions and human-pet interactions there is a dearth of work on the connection between these relationships and interest in environmental protection. In this article, I will address three topics that I believe are crucial to the understanding of the relationship between humans and other animals: the split between humans and the natural world, the development of caring, empathy, and emotional relationships to non-human animals, and finally the magic, or deep and abiding attraction to other species. These topics are especially relevant to current efforts by zoos and aquariums as they try to document the impact they have on the lives of their visitors.

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Place and the Promise of Conservation Psychology

By Suzanne Bott, James G. Cantrill and Olin Eugene Myers, Jr.

The diverse literature related to “place” is discussed in the context of several psychological frameworks to highlight connections to conservation psychology research and practice. The study of the human relationship to place is first cross-cut by distinctions between built versus natural places, explanatory versus normative stances, and humanistic versus scientific approaches. Several typographies are then provided as ways to organize some of the psychological research related to place. Place perception and cognition provide insights into mental and collective representations of place. Affective or emotional constructs, such as place attachment and dependence, offer ways to consider the strong bonds people form with places, which can be significant factors in land management. Place identity research describes how a person may have a sense of belonging in a place, and how this may vary with background variables. Finally, development of a sense of place is examined for both children and adults. Lessons for mental health, educational and communication, and public involvement in adaptive ecosystem management are suggested, and illustrated by experiences in the Great Lakes region.

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Two Avenues for Encouraging Conservation Behaviors

By Martha C. Monroe

Environmental organizations and natural resource agencies often seek education and communication strategies to encourage effective conservation behaviors. This paper extends the discussion from the Conservation Psychology Dialogue in May 2002 to define two broad avenues for activities that may nudge individuals and society toward more responsible environmental behaviors: the specific route of changing behavior with social marketing tools and the general route of cultivating environmental literacy through educational programs. A review of the research literature identifies some of the factors that encourage targeted behaviors and factors that contribute to environmental literacy. Strategies related to implementing programs in both areas are offered. Behavior change strategies include: ways of tailoring a message to the audience, types of information to provide, and methods for creating commitment. Ideas for how to promote environmental literacy can be found in research concerning significant life experiences and environment-based education.

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Reframing Environmental Messages to be Congruent with American Values

By P. Wesley Schultz and Lynnette Zelezny

Prior research has explored the relationship between values, attitudes about environmental issues, and pro-environmental behavior. These studies have shown a consistent pattern of results – individuals who value self-transcendent life goals tend to care more about environmental problems, favor environmental protection over economic growth, and engage in more proenvironmental behavior. In contrast, individuals who value self-enhancing life goals tend to hold more egoistic concerns about environmental issues, tend to favor economic growth over environmental protection, and tend to engage in fewer environmental behaviors. Research on American values suggests that overall, people in the U.S. tend to hold strong self-enhancing values. These self-enhancing values have largely been considered incongruous with the values that lead to environmental concern and to environmental behavior. In this paper, we synthesize the past research on the relationship between values and environmental behavior. Lessons from the Biodiversity Project are used to illustrate efforts to create effective value-based environmental messages.

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The Emerging Field of Conservation Psychology

By Carol D. Saunders

The growing recognition that the social sciences play a key role in conservation requires more efficient ways for working together toward a common mission. A new field of conservation psychology is proposed to create stronger connections between the natural and social sciences, between research and practice, and between psychology and the other social sciences. The purpose of such a network is to conduct psychological research that is directly oriented toward the goal of environmental sustainability. To better understand the promise of conservation psychology, it is compared to other fields, such as conservation biology and environmental psychology. Potential conservation psychology research topics are discussed in relation to two broad outcome areas: a) motivating people to act in more environmentally-friendly ways and b) encouraging people to care about the natural world and their role in it. Within these outcome areas, research can be focused at the individual or the group level. The type of research will range from more theoretical approaches to more applied, and examples are provided for such a continuum. The dynamic process by which social scientists and practitioners identify high-priority research questions is another important aspect of conservation psychology.

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