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Shifting Social Representations of Orcas: Content and Prototypical Analysis
... Moreover, in line with previous research suggesting that people tend to prioritize human lives in conflicting situations with animals (e.g. Awad et al., 2018;Wilks et al., 2021) and that lack of empathy toward nonhuman species becomes more evident in forced tradeoff situations (Cameron et al., 2022), it is reasonable to expect that the negative image broadcasted about orcas affected social representations (Godinho & Garrido, 2024) and ultimately behavioral intentions toward them. ...
The Strait of Gibraltar is an important habitat for seven regularly occurring cetacean species. These waters are heavily used for fishing and therefore experience extraordinary levels of shipping traffic. Photography provides a valuable and non-invasive tool to monitor the health of cetacean populations, where external injuries may indicate specific anthropogenic impacts, such as vessel strikes or fishery interactions. We manually screened 27,866 photos taken during whale-watching operations between 2016-20 for human-induced injuries. Injuries of potential anthropogenic origin were detected in 228 cases. The severity of these injuries ranged from superficial linear marks to severe traumas that may affect survival and fitness. Severe injuries included a gunshot wound, vessel-related traumata and abrasions, signs of previous severe entanglements and deep lacerations which could stem from recreational fishery activities or propellor cuts and occasionally served as an entry point for dermal infections. In 2007, Spanish legislation introduced regulations on how to approach cetaceans by boat, but recreational fishery vessels have been commonly observed to disregard this law. We therefore urge stricter control and enforcement of existing laws and collaboration between the Spanish and Moroccan authorities to mitigate the human impact on cetaceans in this region.
What makes written text appealing? In this registered report, we study the linguistic characteristics of news headline success using a large-scale dataset of field experiments (A/B tests) conducted on the popular website Upworthy.com comparing multiple headline variants for the same news articles. This unique setup allows us to control for factors that could otherwise have important confounding effects on headline success. Based on the prior literature and an exploratory portion of the data, we formulated hypotheses about the linguistic features associated with statistically superior headlines, previously published as a registered report protocol. Here, we report the findings based on a much larger portion of the data that became available after the publication of our registered report protocol. Our registered findings contribute to resolving competing hypotheses about the linguistic features that affect the success of text and provide avenues for research into the psychological mechanisms that are activated by those features.
Human-wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing sustainable development challenges globally. This is particularly the case where ecologically and economically important wildlife impact the livelihoods of humans. Large carnivores are one such group and their co-occurrence with low-income rural communities often results in real or perceived livestock losses that place increased costs on already impoverished households. Here we show the disparities associated with the vulnerability to conflict arising from large carnivores on cattle (Bos taurus) globally. Across the distribution of 18 large carnivores, we find that the economic vulnerability to predation losses (as measured by impacts to annual per capita income) is between two and eight times higher for households in transitioning and developing economies when compared to developed ones. This potential burden is exacerbated further in developing economies because cattle keepers in these areas produce on average 31% less cattle meat per animal than in developed economies. In the lowest-income areas, our estimates suggest that the loss of a single cow or bull equates to nearly a year and a half of lost calories consumed by a child. Finally, our results show that 82% of carnivore range falls outside protected areas, and five threatened carnivores have over one third of their range located in the most economically sensitive conflict areas. This unequal burden of human-carnivore conflict sheds light on the importance of grappling with multiple and conflicting sustainable development goals: protecting life on land and eliminating poverty and hunger.
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.
The presence of free-roaming donkeys on Brazilian Northeastern roads has significant welfare and safety implications for both humans and animals. Working donkeys have played an important historical role in regional development and are considered a cultural symbol of the Brazilian Northeast, as manifested in popular songs, tales, and other arts. Their replacement with motorized vehicles and machines has, however, led to their underuse and their proliferation as free-roaming animals. They are, therefore, reputed for their involvement in road accidents. Aside from this narrative, there is no documentation of social representations of free-roaming donkeys in Brazil. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to identify, document, and analyze social representations of free-roaming donkeys through an exploratory study based on 99 interviews conducted in Brazil. These representations were grouped and organized in a four-quadrant matrix that highlights human and nonhuman agencies. Our results show that donkey abandonment is not always perceived as an intentionally negative human attitude; donkey agency and structural and political-cultural causes are also related.
Although coexistence with wildlife is a key goal of conservation, little is known about it or how to study it. By coexistence we mean a sustainable though dynamic state in which humans and wildlife coadapt to sharing landscapes, where human interactions with wildlife are effectively governed to ensure wildlife populations persist in socially legitimate ways that ensure tolerable risk levels. Problems that arise from current conflict‐oriented framing of human–wildlife interactions include reinforcing a human–nature dichotomy as fundamentally oppositional, suggesting coexistence requires the absence of conflict, and skewing research and management toward direct negative impacts over indirect impacts and positive aspects of living with wildlife. Human behavior toward wildlife is framed as rational calculus of costs and benefits, sidelining emotional and cultural dimensions of these interactions. Coexistence is less studied due to unfamiliarity with relevant methodologies, including qualitative methods, self‐reflexivity and ethical rigor, and constraints on funding and time. These challenges are illustrated with examples from fieldwork in India and Africa. We recommend a basic approach to case studies aimed at expanding the scope of inquiries into human–wildlife relations beyond studies of rational behavior and quantification of costs and benefits of wildlife to humans.
Among the world’s large Carnivores, American black bears (Ursus americanus) are the foremost conservation success story. Populations have been expanding across North America because the species is adaptable and tolerant of living near people, and because management agencies in the U.S. and Canada controlled hunting and other human-sources of mortality. As a result, human–black bear conflicts (damage to property, general nuisance, threat to human safety) have dramatically increased in some areas, making it urgently important to develop and deploy a variety of mitigation tools. Previous studies claimed that legal hunting did not directly reduce conflicts, but they did not evaluate whether hunting controlled conflicts via management of population size. Here, we compared temporal patterns of phoned-in complaints about black bears (total ~63,500) in Minnesota, USA, over 4 decades to corresponding bear population estimates: both doubled during the first decade. We also quantified natural bear foods, and found that large year-to-year fluctuations affected numbers of complaints; however, since this variation is due largely to weather, this factor cannot be managed. Complaints fell sharply when the management agency (1) shifted more responsibility for preventing and mitigating conflicts to the public; and (2) increased hunting pressure to reduce the bear population. This population reduction was more extreme than intended, however, and after hunting pressure was curtailed, population regrowth was slower than anticipated; consequently both population size and complaints remained at relatively low levels statewide for 2 decades (although with local hotspots). These long-term data indicated that conflicts can be kept in tolerable bounds by managing population size through hunting; but due to the bluntness of this instrument and deficiencies and uncertainties in monitoring and manipulating populations, it is wiser to maintain a population at a level where conflicts are socially-acceptable than try to reduce it once it is well beyond that point.
Humans have lived alongside and interacted with wild animals throughout evolutionary history. Even though wild animals can damage property, or injure humans and domesticated animals, not all interactions between humans and wildlife are negative. Yet, research has tended to focus disproportionately on negative interactions leading to negative outcomes, labelling this human-wildlife conflict. Studies have identified several factors, ranging from gender , religion, socio-economics and literacy, which influence people's responses to wildlife. We used the ISI Web of Knowledge database to assess quantitatively how human-wildlife interactions are framed in the scientific literature and to understand the hypotheses that have been invoked to explain these. We found that the predominant focus of research was on human-wildlife conflict (71%), with little coverage of coexistence (2%) or neutral interactions (8%). We suggest that such a framing is problematic as it can lead to biases in conservation planning by failing to consider the nuances of people's relationships with wildlife and the opportunities that exist for conservation. We propose a typ-ology of human responses to wildlife impacts, ranging from negative to positive, to help moderate the disproportionate focus on conflict. We suggest that standardizing terminology and considering interactions beyond those that are negative can lead to a more nuanced understanding of human-wildlife relations and help promote greater coexistence between people and wildlife. We also list the various influential factors that are reported to shape human-wildlife interactions and, to generate further hypotheses and research , classify them into 55 proximate (correlates) and five ultimate (mechanisms) factors.
Stereotype research emphasizes systematic processes over seemingly arbitrary contents, but content also may prove systematic. On the basis of stereotypes' intergroup functions, the stereotype content model hypothesizes that (a) 2 primary dimensions are competence and warmth, (b) frequent mixed clusters combine high warmth with low competence (paternalistic) or high competence with low warmth (envious), and (c) distinct emotions (pity, envy, admiration, contempt) differentiate the 4 competence-warmth combinations. Stereotypically, (d) status predicts high competence, and competition predicts low warmth. Nine varied samples rated gender, ethnicity, race, class, age, and disability out-groups. Contrary to antipathy models, 2 dimensions mattered, and many stereotypes were mixed, either pitying (low competence, high warmth subordinates) or envying (high competence, low warmth competitors). Stereotypically, status predicted competence, and competition predicted low warmth.
The nature of media reporting can have a serious impact on the policy and management of wildlife and other conservation issues, perhaps especially in areas where large charismatic wildlife still persist amongst a high-density human population. This study used qualitative content analysis to evaluate whether a series of media workshops had an impact on the reporting of human–leopard interactions in Mumbai, India, with the goal of de-sensationalizing coverage of negative interactions, as well as providing more factual information to the public. The qualitative analysis used newspaper article headlines to make the analysis relatively simple and affordable. The results found that despite fewer attacks in our post-workshop timeframe, reporting about leopards actually increased. However, the coverage was less sensational, leopards were not portrayed as being the aggressor as often, more emphasis was placed on how humans can prevent attacks, negative impacts on leopards were considered more often, and more realistic solutions were presented. Our results show that proactive engagement with the media, even over contentious issues, can lead to changes in how conservation issues are covered—eventually aiding in the conservation of the species and, in this case, even the welfare of the people through reduced conflict. In addition, this study found that qualitative content analysis can be a relatively simple and straightforward tool that can be implemented for such analysis.
Nonhuman animals are typically excluded from the scope of social psychology. This article presents animals as social objects – targets of human social responses – overviewing the similarities and differences with human targets. The focus here is on perceiving animal species as social groups. Reflecting the two fundamental dimensions of humans’ social cognition – perceived warmth (benign or ill intent) and competence (high or low ability), proposed within the Stereotype Content Model (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) – animal stereotypes are identified, together with associated prejudices and behavioral tendencies. In line with human intergroup threats, both realistic and symbolic threats associated with animals are reviewed. As a whole, animals appear to be social perception targets within the human sphere of influence and a valid topic for research.
As a way of coping with uncertainty and threats to their livelihoods following wolf reintroduction, livestock breeders in Greece deploy incriminating rumors about the wolf and the premises and actors around its reintroduction. In this paper, we identify the social representations with which livestock breeders make sense of and constitute the wolf as a social object. Through Moscovici’s social representations framework, we show how enduring and contemporary (corresponding to core and peripheral) attributions formalize into coherent narratives and become designated as rumors by their unverified, third-party nature. To this end, the two rumors that dominate in Greece as well as the rest of Europe are that of wolves being secretly released by NGOs and wolves as genetically impure hybrids. These become counter-narratives to the dominant truth and function as the currency of the voiceless in wolf conservation. The paper situates these rumors in a global context of contemporary conspiracy theories on the wolf currently reproduced by disenfranchised hunters, breeders and rural residents. It suggests the affinities across these rumors point to generalizable drivers to rumor creation, including the perception of inaccessible official channels for communication.
Social-perception dimensions may explain human-animal relationships because animals show intent toward humans (social perception’s warmth dimension) and, consequently, their potential effect on humans is relevant (competence dimension). After reviewing current literature about perceptions of animals’ ascribed intentions and abilities, three studies tested the Stereotype Content Model (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes Map (Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2007) regarding animal targets. Study 1 found a four-cluster SCM structure. Warmth and competence judgments predicted specific emotions and behavioral tendencies toward animals (Study 2). Study 3 supported associations between animals and social groups based on their respective perceived warmth and competence. Taken together, results showed the relevance of SCM dimensions for social perception of animals.
Previously I argued that prioritizing farmers’ concerns, priorities, and understandings of human-wildlife interactions was central to developing effective human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation, presupposing that HWC is about the costs of coexisting with wildlife. Further experience and the wider literature suggest this is not always true. Identifying and addressing underlying and unresolved tensions among different stakeholder groups is increasingly recognized as key to managing HWCs. However, terms like “HWC” or “crop-raiding” obscure the nature of, and appropriate responses to, such “conflicts.” Additionally, we should recognize how culturally constructed, symbolic meanings of animals feed into discourse around “conflicts” and conservation. Competing constructions of animals reflect different agendas, perspectives, and values, which all contribute to “conflicts” around wildlife.
Unaddressed or poorly addressed conflicts present increasingly difficult obstacles to effective conservation and management of many wildlife species around the world. The material, visible manifestations of such conflicts are often rooted in less visible, more complex social conflicts between people and groups. Current efforts to incorporate stakeholder engagement typically do not fully acknowledge or address the social conflicts that lie beneath the surface of conservation issues, nor do they consistently create the necessary conditions for productive transformation of the root causes of conflict. Yet, the ultimate level of social carrying capacity for many species will depend on the extent to which conservation can reconcile these social conflicts, thereby increasing social receptivity to conservation goals. To this end, conservation conflict transformation (CCT) offers a new perspective on, and approach to, how conservationists identify, understand, prevent, and reconcile conflict. Principles and processes from the peacebuilding field inform CCT and offer useful guidance for revealing and addressing social conflicts to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration (HWCC) has adapted and demonstrated these principles for application in conservation through capacity building and conflict interventions, transforming how many practitioners in the conservation field address conflict. In this article, we discuss current limitations of practice when addressing conflict in conservation, define conflict transformation, illustrate two analytical models to orient the reader to the benefits of CCT, and present two case studies where CCT was applied usefully to a conservation-related conflict.
Human–wildlife conflicts are increasing throughout the world, principally due to a combination of human population growth, increased pressure on land and natural resources and climate change. Many human–wildlife conflicts stem from differences in objectives between various stakeholder groups, especially where the wildlife in question is a resource that can be exploited for economic or cultural benefit, or where the conservation of wildlife is at odds with human population growth or development pressure. Conflicts can be exacerbated by an incomplete understanding of their causes and/or inappropriate intervention measures. Many traditional forms of intervention are also subject to increasing scrutiny and criticism from society. Here, we highlight the potential strategic benefits that can be made by an interdisciplinary approach to human–wildlife conflict situations, by integrating knowledge and understanding across the natural and social sciences. We also stress the potential tactical benefits from combining new approaches to management with more traditional ones. We emphasise the potential contribution of more recent developments in decision-making under conditions of limited data availability and uncertainty. Finally, we recommend that monitoring should play a more prominent role, both in assessing the role of stakeholder engagement in participatory decision-making and in contributing to the evidence base that will allow competing hypotheses about specific systems to be evaluated in an iterative manner.
Restoring species to their former range has become a major goal in official environmental policy. Under strict protection, the expansion of a new wolf population has been taking place on the Scandinavian Peninsula since the late 1980s, leading to much controvery in rural areas. Most research on conflicts concerning wolves has taken antagonistic attitudes as a point of departure. In this article we question such an approach. Taking social representations as our framework for analysis, our aim has been to find out how wolves are perceived and whether an analysis of such cultural meanings could contribute to a better understanding of the conflicts accompanying wolf recovery. Focus group interviews in two areas in Eastern Norway suggest that it is not antagonistic interpretations of the carnivores’ nature that fuel the conflicts over wolves, but different views as to whether they belong in the areas where they are now found. Yet, at the same time, it is against the undisputed background of the wolf’s perceived character that the negotiations over their belonging to Norwegian nature make sense. We so argue that the theory of social representations provides a comprehensive framework for studying the complex relationship between consensus and diverging opinions, and between culturally embedded representations and conflict, that appears to lie at the heart of such issues.
This study was conducted to examine enduring fright reactions to mass media via recollective self-reports of a sample of undergraduates (average age 20.6 years) from two universities. Ninety percent (138 of 153) of the participants reported such a reaction. Most experiences occurred in childhood or adolescence, with 26.1% of the participants still experiencing residual anxiety at the time of measurement. More than half of the sample reported subsequent disturbances in sleeping or eating patterns, and a substantial proportion reported avoiding or dreading the situation depicted in the program or movie and mental preoccupation with the stimulus. Stimulus types were coded according to the jive categories of stimuli related to phobic reactions—animal, environmental, situational, blood/injection/injury, and "other" (disturbing sounds and distorted images)—described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Almost all of the films or movies reported contained stimuli from at least one of these categories. Developmental differences were observed in both the types of stimuli that provoked fright responses and the coping strategies used by viewers.
RESUMO -A análise prototípica é uma convenção de apresentação bastante difundida para caracterizar a estrutura de uma representação social a partir de dados de evocações livres. O presente texto visa a sistematizar e indicar algumas dessas informações que deveriam estar presentes na descrição de resultados da análise prototípica, discutindo brevemente os prós e contras de algumas opções de realização da análise. Para tanto, é feita uma breve introdução da análise e posteriormente passa-se a considerações técnicas, finalizando com um exemplo de relato. Palavras-chave: análise prototípica; análise de evocações; associações livres; representações sociais. ABSTRACT -Prototypical analysis is a largely diffused convention of presentation to characterize the structure of a social representation based on free association data. However, occasionaly the results of that analysis do not contain the essential information to guarantee its transparency. The present text aims at systematizing and indicating some of the information that should be present in the description of prototypical analysis results, briefly discussing the pros and cons of some analysis options. For that purpose, a brief introduction of the analysis is made, then moving on to technical considerations and closing the text with an example of an report.
Attempts to minimize the effects of human–wildlife conflict (HWC) on conservation goals require an understanding of the mechanisms by which such conflicts are caused and sustained. This necessitates looking beyond the natural sciences to the human dimensions of wildlife management. Public dissemination of information regarding HWC occurs largely through the mass media. We conducted a content analysis of print media articles on human–leopard conflict in Mumbai, India. We sought to understand the framing of HWC and the changes in media coverage over a 10‐year period (2001–2011) during which a large number of attacks on people prior to 2005 were followed by a program of trapping and relocation. After 2005, when there was a decrease in the level of conflict, the tone of English‐language media reports changed. The perpetrator framing was over 5 times more likely before 2005, whereas a neutral framing was twice as likely after 2005. English‐language and non‐English‐language print media differed significantly in their framing of HWC and in the kinds of solutions advocated. Our results also suggest the print mass media in Mumbai could be an influential conduit for content that diminishes HWC. These media outlets seem attentive to human–leopard conflict, capable of correcting erroneous perceptions and facilitating mitigation and effective management. We believe better contact and mutual understanding between conservation professionals and the mass media could be an important component of managing HWC. We further suggest that in such interactions conservation professionals need to be aware of cultural and linguistic differences in reporting within the country.
Entendiendo el Papel de las Representaciones del Conflicto Humano–Leopardo en Mumbai A Través del Análisis de Contenido de Medios
There are few phrases in the Western world that evoke as much emotion or as powerful an image as the words “shark” and “attack.” However, not all “shark attacks” are created equal. Under current labels, listings of shark attack may even include instances where there is no physical contact between shark and human. The dominant perception of intent-laden shark “attacks” with fatal outcomes is outdated as a generic term and misleading to the public. We propose new descriptive labels based on the different outcomes associated with human–shark interactions, including sightings, encounters, bites, and the rare cases of fatal bites. We argue two central points: first, that a review of the scientific literature shows that humans are “not on the menu” as typical shark prey. Second, we argue that the adoption of a more prescriptive code of reporting by scientists, the media, and policy makers will serve the public interest by clarifying the true risk posed by sharks and informing better policy making. Finally, we apply these new categories to the 2009 New South Wales Shark Meshing Report in Australia and the history of shark incidents in Florida to illustrate how these changes in terminology can alter the narratives of human–shark interactions.
Processes of decentralization characterize much of the developing world's natural resource sectors (e.g., forestry). At the heart of decentralization processes lies the question of power, given that most decentralization efforts involve some transfer of authority from a central agency to downwardly accountable groups, or some claim to “empower” local-level actors. These processes often involve organizations such as the state, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and local communities, who may have divergent interests. The question thus arises, how is power reflected in various approaches to natural resources conservation and management? In this article, we trace some theoretical understandings of the concept of power from disciplines such as critical theory, adult education, and development sociology. We then illustrate these conceptions of power with various examples from the field of natural resources. Our purpose is to shed light on how power can be understood with the aim of informing more deliberate, and perhaps more democratic, professional practice.
Investigation of the social framing of human–shark interactions may provide useful strategies for integrating social, biological, and ecological knowledge into national and international policy discussions about shark conservation. One way to investigate social opinion and forces related to sharks and their conservation is through the media's coverage of sharks. We conducted a content analysis of 300 shark-related articles published in 20 major Australian and U.S. newspapers from 2000 to 2010. Shark attacks were the emphasis of over half the articles analyzed, and shark conservation was the primary topic of 11% of articles. Significantly more Australian articles than U.S. articles treated shark attacks (χ2 = 3.862; Australian 58% vs. U.S. 47%) and shark conservation issues (χ2 = 6.856; Australian 15% vs. U.S. 11%) as the primary article topic and used politicians as the primary risk messenger (i.e., primary person or authority sourced in the article) (χ2 = 7.493; Australian 8% vs. U.S. 1%). However, significantly more U.S. articles than Australian articles discussed sharks as entertainment (e.g., subjects in movies, books, and television; χ2 = 15.130; U.S. 6% vs. Australian 1%) and used scientists as the primary risk messenger (χ2 = 5.333; U.S. 25% vs. Australian 15%). Despite evidence that many shark species are at risk of extinction, we found that most media coverage emphasized the risks sharks pose to people. To the extent that media reflects social opinion, our results highlight problems for shark conservation. We suggest that conservation professionals purposefully and frequently engage with the media to highlight the rarity of shark attacks, discuss preventative measures water users can take to reduce their vulnerability to shark encounters, and discuss conservation issues related to local and threatened species of sharks. When integrated with biological and ecological data, social-science data may help generate a more comprehensive perspective and inform conservation practice.
Descripción de Tiburones y su Conservación por Medios Informativos Australianos y Norteamericanos
La investigacióndel marco social de las interacciones humanos–tiburones puede proporcionar estrategias útiles para la integración de conocimiento social, biológico y ecológico en las discusiones de políticas nacionales e internacionales para la conservación de tiburones. Una manera de investigar la opinión y fuerzas sociales relacionadas con tiburones y su conservación es a través de la cobertura de los medios sobre tiburones. Realizamos un análisis de contenido de 300 artículos relacionados con tiburones publicados de 2000 a 2010 en 20 periódicos australianos y norteamericanos. Los ataques de tiburones fueron el enfásis de más de la mitad de los artículos analizados, y la conservación de tiburones fue el tema primario de 11% de los artículos. Significativamente más artículos australianos que norteamericanos trataron los ataques de tiburón (χ2 = 3.862; australianos 58% vs. norteamericanos 47%) y temas de conservación de tiburón (χ2 = 6.856; australianos 15% vs. norteamericanos 11%) como el tema principal del artículo y utilizaron a políticos como el principal mensajero de riesgo (i.e., persona o autoridad primaria fuente del artículo) (χ2 = 7.493; norteamericanos 8% vs. australianos 1%). Sin embargo, significativamente más artículos norteamericanos que australianos discutieron a los tiburones como entretenimiento (e.g., sujetos en películas, libros y televisión; χ2 = 15.130; norteamericanos 6% vs. australianos 1%) y usaron a científicos como el principal mensajero de riesgo (χ2 = 5.333; norteamericanos 25% vs. asutralianos 15%). No obstante la evidencia de muchas especies de tiburón están en riesgo de extinción, encontramos que la mayoría de la cobertura de los medios enfatizó los riesgos que representan los tiburones para humanos. En el sentido en que los medios reflejan la opinión social, nuestros resultados resaltan los problemas para la conservación de tiburones. Sugerimos que profesionales de la conservación se comprometan con los medios, con determinación y frecuencia, para resaltar la rareza de los ataques de tiburones, discutir medidas preventivas que los usuarios pueden tomar para reducir su vulnerabilidad a encuentros con tiburones y discutir temas de conservación relacionados con especies de tiburones locales y amenazadas. Datos de la ciencia social, incorporados a datos biológicos y ecológicos, pueden ayudar a generar una perspectiva integral y proporcionar información a la práctica de la conservación.
Three studies examined the cognitive implications of linguistic categories in the interpersonal domain. On the basis of conceptual and linguistic criteria, we advance a four-level classification that distinguishes between verbs and adjectives in the interpersonal domain. These four levels (in terms of increasing abstractness) are descriptive action verbs, interpretive action verbs, state verbs, and adjectives. Results from the first two studies reveal a systematic relation between the respective linguistic category and the temporal stability of the quality expressed in the sentence, the sentence's informativeness about the subject, the sentence's verifiability and disputability, and the sentence's informativeness about a specific situation. Results from the last study support the four-level linguistic classification and its differential cognitive functions. Implications for social cognition and personality research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Ongoing fragmentation between social groups on the appropriate targets and
relevant actors for nature conservation signals the need for further advancements
in theorizing about the human–nature interaction. Through a focus on the complexity
of social thought and confrontations between social groups, the theory of
social representations may provide a useful addition to conventional approaches.
However, environmental issues have so far not been among the primary topics studied
by social representation scholars. This article sets out to fill this gap. After an
introduction to the theory, we report on three case studies that illustrate the use
of this theory in the context of natural resource management. These studies show
how groups negotiate meanings, intentions, and action related to complex issues such
as wolf management, invasive species, and conflicts over protected forests, landscapes,
and national parks. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the approach
and suggest future challenges and opportunities.
Although a number of studies have examined a range of demo-graphic and personality variables that may impact upon attitudes towards the treatment of non-human species, little consensus has been reached within the literature. The aim of the current study was to evaluate and assess levels of human-directed empathy and attitudes towards the treatment of animals in two diverse populations, namely the general community (n = 543) and those within the animal protection field (n = 389). Both groups of participants com-pleted the Attitude Towards the Treatment of Animals Scale (AAS) and the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a measure of human-directed em-pathy. Comparisons between the two samples indicated that those within the animal protection community scored more highly on both the animal attitude and human-directed empathy measures. Correlational analyses revealed a positive relation between AAS and IRI scores for both samples, whilst the strength of the correlation was greater for those within the animal protection sample. These findings are discussed.
Human–wildlife conflict has emerged as the central vocabulary for cases requiring balance between resource demands of humans and wildlife. This phrase is problematic because, given traditional definitions of conflict, it positions wildlife as conscious human antagonists. We used content analysis of wildlife conservation publications and professional meeting presentations to explore the use of the phrase, human–wildlife conflict, and compared competing models explaining its usage. Of the 422 publications and presentations using human–wildlife conflict, only 1 reflected a traditional definition of conflict, >95% referred to reports of animal damage to entities human care about, and <4% referred to human–human conflict. Usage of human–wildlife conflict was related to species type (herbivores with human food, carnivores with human safety, meso-mammals with property), development level of the nation where the study occurred (less developed nations with human food and more developed nations with human safety and property damage), and whether the study occurred on private lands or protected areas (protected areas with human–human conflict and other areas with property damage). We argue that the phrase, human–wildlife conflict, is detrimental to coexistence between humans and wildlife, and suggest comic reframing to facilitate a more productive interpretation of human–wildlife relationships.
This research aims to foster discourse about the extent to which gender is important to consider within the context of participatory approaches for biological conservation. Our objectives are to: (1) gender-disaggregate data about stakeholders' risk perceptions associated with human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in a participatory conservation context, and (2) highlight insights from characterizing gendered similarities and differences in the way people think about HWC-related risks. Two communal conservancies in Caprivi, Namibia served as case study sites. We analyzed data from focus groups (n = 2) to create gendered concept maps about risks to wildlife and livelihoods and any associations of those risks with HWC, and semi-structured interviews (n = 76; men = 38, women = 38) to measure explicit risk attitudes associated with HWC. Concept maps indicated some divergent perceptions in how groups characterized risks to wildlife and livelihoods; however, not only were identified risks to wildlife (e.g., pollution, hunting) dissimilar in some instances, descriptions of risks varied as well. Study groups reported similar risk perceptions associated with HWC with the exception of worry associated with HWC effects on local livelihoods. Gendered differences in risk perceptions may signal different priorities or incentives to participate in efforts to resolve HWC-related risks. Thus, although shared goals and interests may seem to be an obvious reason for cooperative wildlife management, it is not always obvious that management goals are shared. Opportunity exists to move beyond thinking about gender as an explanatory variable for understanding how different groups think about participating in conservation activities.
Approximately 73 million adults in the United States report using the Internet as a source for health information. This study examines the quality, content, and scope of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Internet news coverage starting on the day of its licensure. Information about the HPV vaccine in the media may influence personal attitudes and vaccine uptake.
Using four search engines and six search terms, a sample of 250 Internet articles on the HPV vaccine were identified between June 8, 2006, and September 26, 2006. The coding instrument captured how the headline was depicted and how the vaccine was labeled in addition to information about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and current social issues and concerns about the vaccine.
Analysis revealed balanced Internet news coverage; 52.4% of Internet news stories were coded as neutral toward the vaccine. Eighty-eight percent of articles labeled the vaccine as a cervical cancer vaccine; 73.5% explained the link between HPV and cervical cancer, although without providing background information on HPV or cervical cancer. Vaccine affordability was the most cited social concern (49.2%). Information about vaccine safety and side effects, duration of vaccine protection, and availability of the catchup vaccine for females aged 13-26 was repeatedly missing.
The HPV vaccine is being marketed as a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Comprehensive information on the vaccine, HPV, and cervical cancer continues to be missing from media coverage. Public health educators should monitor online media in an effort to respond to inaccurate information. Barriers to vaccine cost and funding mechanisms need to be addressed more effectively by states. Knowledge of particular media messages could provide a starting point for tackling opposition and uptake issues for future sexually transmitted infection (STI) vaccines.
Attacks by large carnivores on humans can occasionally help to generate significant resistance to carnivore conservation efforts. We have reviewed research addressing concerns for human safety in large carnivore conservation, and have evaluated statements about the frequencies and causes of attacks based on our findings concerning i) existing data on the number of attacks by large carnivores in various parts of the world; ii) information systems documenting details of attacks; and iii) research that provides credible advice on what to do when encountering a large carnivore, to minimize the likelihood of being attacked. We conclude that little information exists for any of these criteria and what is available is often inadequate to determine the frequency of attacks, their causes and how to avoid them. We suggest that information systems, including database(s) on attacks and encounters, should be established for large carnivore conservation efforts, to supply information and to answer future requests for this information.
The Linguistic Intergroup Bias (LIB) illustrates the disposition to communicate positive in-group and negative out-group behaviors more abstractly than negative in-group and positive out-group behaviors. The present research examined the function of language in reinforcing this bias in political communication. To illustrate the LIB, the Linguistic Category Model (LCM) was used, including a nouns category. Because social stereotypes are usually conveyed by nominal terms, the aim was to observe the relationship between stereotypes and language in political communication. Moreover, we were interested in analyzing the psychological processes that drive the LIB. Therefore, we verified whether the LIB is more related to language abstractness than to agent-patient causality. Several political debates and interviews, which took place before the latest Italian provincial elections, were analyzed. Results suggested that the language politicians use in communicating about political groups are conceptualized as stereotypes rather than as trait-based categories. Moreover, it seems that the LIB could not be explained only at a lexical level. Social implications of the present findings in interpersonal relations and causal attribution were discussed.
Six studies (N = 491) investigated the inductive potential of nouns versus adjectives in person perception. In the first 5 studies, targets were either described by an adjective (e.g., Mark is homosexual) or by the corresponding noun (e.g., Mark is a homosexual) or by both (Study 3). The authors predicted and found that nouns, more so than adjectives, (a) facilitate descriptor-congruent inferences but inhibit incongruent inferences (Studies 1-3), (b) inhibit alternative classifications (Study 4), and (c) imply essentialism of congruent but not of incongruent preferences (Study 5). This was supported for different group memberships and inclinations (athletics, arts, religion, sexual preference, drinking behavior, etc.), languages (Italian and German), and response formats, suggesting that despite the surface similarity of nouns and adjectives, nouns have a more powerful impact on person perception. Study 6 investigated the inverse relationship, showing that more essentialist beliefs (in terms of a genetic predisposition rather than training) lead speakers to use more nouns and fewer adjectives. Possible extensions of G. R. Semin and K. Fiedler's (1988) linguistic category model and potential applications for language use in intergroup contexts are discussed.
This study addresses existing gaps in our understanding of the ecology of killer whales by investigating their habitat use dynamics in the Atlantic coastal waters of North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Gulf of Biscay. Despite previous research on their distribution during the Atlantic Bluefin tuna migration in the Strait of Gibraltar and adjacent waters, substantial knowledge gaps persist, particularly regarding their movement patterns beyond these regions and seasonal variations in habitat use. Utilizing killer whale occurrence records from 2020 to 2023 and considering environmental factors influencing prey presence, we employed seasonal spatial distribution models. MaxEnt models exhibited robust predictive performance, emphasizing distance to shore, depth, and sea surface temperature as key factors influencing killer whale habitat suitability. Spatial distribution patterns reveal a peak in coastal waters of the southern Iberian Peninsula and North Africa during winter and spring, with a significant shift northward and expansion during summer and autumn towards the Gulf of Biscay. This expansion suggests a broader distribution of killer whales in the Northeast Atlantic during warmer months, encompassing a diverse range of habitats. The research underscores a substantial interaction (47%) between killer whales and recreational vessels, posing concerns for both the killer whales and maritime safety. This study provides valuable insights on killer whale habitat use in the Atlantic waters from North Africa to the Gulf of Biscay, thereby supporting conservation and management efforts in the region.
Sharks are crucial to the marine ecosystem, but they are critically declining. Their bad public image explains, to some extent, the lesser concern for their conservation compared to other marine species. Extending previous research which has mainly focused on the study of attitudes towards sharks, we propose a two studies sequence, first by exploring the shark’s social representation, followed by an exploration of some stereotypical traits that may affect attitudes toward shark conservation. Study 1 specifically exploreed the social representation of sharks in a sample of zoo goers (N = 979). Main results showed that the representation was ambivalent and participants considered sharks as human predators. Surprisingly, findings showed that sharks were also seen as highly agentic and little communal animals. Consequently, Study 2 (N = 60) was designed to more thoroughly explore this gendered view as well as its implications in the attitudes and behavioral intention towards shark conservation. Results showed that, although sharks were again perceived as highly agentic, it was the perception of the sharks’ communality that was associated with more positive attitudes towards their conservation and a higher tendency to choose a shark conservation trust as first choice. Implications of studies 1 and 2 results for sharks’ conservation communication strategies and policies are discussed.
Using the stereotype content model (SCM; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) and the behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes (BIAS) map (Cuddy, Fiske, & Glick, 2007), two experiments tested the effect of animal stereotypes on emotions and behavioral tendencies toward animals. As a novel approach, Study 1 ( N = 165) manipulated warmth and competence traits of a fictitious animal species (“wallons”) and tested their effect on emotions and behaviors toward those animals. Stereotypical warm-competent and cold-incompetent “wallons” elicited fondness/delight and contempt/disgust, respectively. Cold-competent “wallons” primarily elicited threat but not awe. Warm-incompetent “wallons” were elusive targets, not eliciting specific emotions. The warmth dimension determined active behaviors, promoting facilitation (support/help) and reducing harm (kill/trap). The competence dimension determined passive behaviors, eliciting facilitation (conserve/monitor) and reducing harm (ignore/let them die off). Study 2 ( N = 112) tested the relation between animal stereotypes for 25 species and realistic scenarios concerning behavioral tendencies toward animals. Similar to Study 1, stereotypically warm (vs. cold) animals matched with active scenarios, eliciting more facilitation (i.e., national health campaign) but less harm (i.e., fighting animals). Stereotypically competent (vs. incompetent) animals matched with passive scenarios, eliciting more facilitation (i.e., restricted areas) but less harm (i.e., accidental mortality). Accordingly, stereotypes limited the suitability of scenarios toward animals. Although findings are consistent with the SCM/BIAS map framework, several unpredicted results emerged. The mixed support is discussed in detail, along with the implications of an intergroup approach to animals.
This essay examines the mediation of the threat of Asian carp as an invasive species in American waterways based on analysis of 43 articles published in local and national periodicals from 2009 to 2017. Rhetorical and proximization analysis reveals the consistent establishment of carp as an outsider threat and a continual narrowing of the gap between this threat and the deictic center: the Great Lakes. In addition, the notion of the spectacle of the Asian carp’s physiological and behavioral features (i.e. leaping) was found to fade across time in favor of arguments based upon widespread ecosystem and economic damage. This essay argues that the use of these yoked strategies not only prioritizes the threat of Asian carp over other more insidious invasive species but also displays a potentially harmful anti-immigrant preference through metaphor. © 2018
The literature indicates that youths in residential care have been associated with negative social images. However, there have been few studies focused on these social images, specifically, comparing them with the images of youths in normative contexts. To address this issue, we conducted two studies comparing the social images people have about youths in residential care to those they hold about youths living out of care. Both studies were conducted in Portugal: Study 1 explores these images through an open-ended questionnaire; Study 2 examines these images with a quantitative instrument. Overall, the results indicate that the perception about youths in residential care was more negative than the perception about youths out of care. Additionally, the first study probed the effect of socioeconomic status of the youths on the social images held about them and the second examined the role of the respondents' professional contact with youth in care population on these social images. The implications of the social images people have about youth in residential care for the research and intervention towards the wellbeing of this population are discussed.
La première édition de La psychanalyse, son image et son public était une thèse. Cette seconde édition est, je l’espère, un livre. De l’une à l’outre j’ai modifié le style, le mode d’exposition des faits et des idées, éliminé des indications techniques et théoriques qui n’intéressaient qu’un cercle restreint de spécialistes ou qui sont devenues monnaie courante. Ce travail de réécriture correspond, bien entendu, aussi à une évolution personnelle et intellectuelle vis-à-vis des rites d’initiation universitaire et de la science. Lors de sa parution, la thèse a provoqué un malaise. Des psychanalystes surtout ont vu d’un mauvaise œil la tentative de prendre la psychanalyse comme objet quelconque d’étude et de la situer dans la société.
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J’ai été frappé alors, et je le suis toujours, par le fait que les détenteurs d’un savoir, scientifique ou non, croient avoir le droit de tout étudier — et en définitive de tout juger — mais estiment inutile, voire pernicieux, de rendre compte des déterminismes dont ils sont le lieu, des effets qu’ils produisent, bref d’être étudiés à leur tour et de regarder le miroir qu’on leur tend en conséquence. Ils y voient une immixtion intolérable dans leurs propres affaires, une profanation de leur savoir — veut-on qu’il reste sacré ? — et réagissent, suivant leur tempérament, avec mépris ou mauvaise humeur. Ceci est vrai de la plupart des scientifiques, ceci est même vrai des marxistes. C’est pourquoi nous n’avons pas de sociologie de la science, ni du marxisme, ni de la psychanalyse. Je me suis cependant aperçu qu’en dix ans, du moins en ce qui concerne la psychanalyse et les psychanalystes, les attitudes ont beaucoup changé dans un sens favorable à un travail tel que celui-ci.
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Au centre de ce livre est le phénomène des représentations sociales. Depuis la première édition, de nombreuses études tant de terrain que de laboratoire lui ont été consacrées. Je pense notamment à celles de Chombart de Lauwe, Hertzlich, Jodelet, Kaës d’un côté et à celles d’Abric, Codol, Flament, Henry, Pêcheux, Poitou de l’autre. Elles ont permis de mieux saisir sa généralité et de mieux comprendre son rôle dans la communication et la genèse des comportements sociaux. Mon ambition était cependant plus vaste. Je voulais redéfinir les problèmes et les concepts de la psychologie sociale à partir de ce phénomène, en insistant sur sa fonction symbolique et son pouvoir de construction du réel. La tradition behavioriste, le fait que la psychologie sociale se soit bornée à étudier l’individu, le petit groupe, les relations informelles, ont constitué et continuent à constituer un obstacle à cet égard. Une philosophie positiviste qui n’accorde d’importance qu’aux prédictions vérifiables par l’expérience et aux phénomènes directement observables s’ajoute à la liste des obstacles.
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Cette tradition et cette philosophie empêchent, à mon avis, le développement de la psychologie sociale au-delà des limites qui sont les dermes aujourd’hui. Quand on s’en rendra compte et que l’on osera franchir ces limites, les représentations sociales, j’en suis convaincu, prendront dans cette science la place qui est la leur. En outre, elles seront un facteur de renouvellement des problèmes et clés concepts de la philosophie qui doit sous-tendre le travail scientifique. Là encore, les jeux ne sont pas faits. Au contraire ils sont à refaire et la crise que traverse la psychologie sociale le montre à l’évidence.
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Il y va de l’intérêt de bien d’autres domaines de recherche concernant la littérature, l’art, les mythes, les idéologies et le langage. Enfermés dans des cadres dépassés, prisonniers de préjugés quant au pecking order des sciences, les chercheurs dans ces domaines se privent des moyens que, dans son état actuel, la psychologie sociale met à leur disposition. En France notamment ils se réclament, sous l’emprise du structuralisme, d’une orthodoxie saussurienne, tout en oubliant ce que Ferdinand de Saussure a entrevu avec précision : « La langue est un système de signes exprimant des idées, et, par là, comparable à récriture, à l’alphabet des sourds-muets, aux rites symboliques, aux formes de politesse, aux signaux militaires, etc. Elle rat seulement le plus important de ces systèmes. On peut donc concevoir une science qui étudie la vie des signes au sein de la vie sociale ; elle formerait une partie de la psychologie sociale et par conséquent de la psychologie générale ; nous la nommerons sémiologie (du grec semeïon, « signe »). Elle nous apprendrait en quoi consistent les signes, quelles lois les régissent. »
Mais le lecteur n’a pas à se soucier de ce passé, de cet état de la science, des projets flottant autour du livre. Pas plus que je ne m’en soucie. En faisant l’étude d’abord, en lui donnant forme ensuite, je me suis enrichi et j’ai eu du plaisir. Tout ce que je souhaite c’est que, en lisant ce livre, il lui arrive la même chose.
A model of interpersonal terms (verbs and adjectives) is reviewed in terms of the research on: (a) the systematic cognitive inferences these terms mediate, and (b) the implications of this model for social cognitive processes as it is applied in different domains such as attribution processes and intergroup relations.
This study examined ways of generating favorable public attitudes toward ecosystem management (EM). Five hundred rural residents of the Chattooga River Basin (CRB) participated in a telephone survey. A recent Forest Service message on EM was compared with four messages developed using the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and a control (no message) group in their ability to produce favorable attitudes toward EM. The four ELM messages were generated using combinations of high versus low personal relevance and strong versus weak argument strength. The interaction of argument strength and personal relevance along with prior knowledge of EM was also explored. Results show that (1) generally, CRB residents have very low knowledge of EM and (2) the most favorable attitudes were associated with messages containing strong arguments. Evidence of a three‐way interaction (personal relevance by knowledge by argument strength) was found. Explanations for the three‐way interaction as well as theoretical and applied implications of the study findings are discussed.
The stereotype content model (SCM) defines two fundamental dimensions of social perception, warmth and competence, predicted respectively by perceived competition and status. Combinations of warmth and competence generate distinct emotions of admiration, contempt, envy, and pity. From these intergroup emotions and stereotypes, the behavior from intergroup affect and stereotypes (BIAS) map predicts distinct behaviors: active and passive, facilitative and harmful. After defining warmth/communion and competence/agency, the chapter integrates converging work documenting the centrality of these dimensions in interpersonal as well as intergroup perception. Structural origins of warmth and competence perceptions result from competitors judged as not warm, and allies judged as warm; high status confers competence and low status incompetence. Warmth and competence judgments support systematic patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions, including ambivalent prejudices. Past views of prejudice as a univalent antipathy have obscured the unique responses toward groups stereotyped as competent but not warm or warm but not competent. Finally, the chapter addresses unresolved issues and future research directions.
The trade-off myth: Fact and fiction about jobs and the environment
- E Goodstein
- Goodstein E.
Why a theory of social representation
- S Moscovici
- Moscovici S.
Moscovici, S. (2001). Why a theory of social representation? In K. Deaux & G. Philogène (Eds.), Representations of the
social: Bridging theoretical traditions (pp. 8-35). Blackwell Publishing.