Day 5: Wildlife values and anthropomorphism

Why do values matter in wildlife management?

Values influence how people think and act toward wildlife, affect support for management efforts, and help conservationists communicate with the public.

What are values?

Core, fundamental principles that guide what we consider important.

How do values influence groups?

They represent consistent themes in the thoughts and actions of group members.

How are values transmitted and how quickly can they change?

Values can be transmitted vertically between generations and can shift over time, but generally change slowly.

Values vs. attitudes

Values are more abstract, change more slowly, and are lower on the cognitive hierarchy. Attitudes are more specific evaluations of situations, people, places, and things; they change more quickly and are higher on the cognitive hierarchy.

What is a wildlife value dimension?

A dimension describing a general way people view and value wildlife, such as domination or mutualism.

Domination wildlife value dimension

The belief that humans have priority and using wildlife is appropriate. Associated with consumptive behaviors such as hunting and fishing.

Mutualism wildlife value dimension

The belief that animals are like family and that relationships with wildlife involve trust. Associated with non-consumptive behaviors such as feeding and caring for wildlife.

What is a wildlife value orientation?

A pattern of beliefs about wildlife that reflects a person's position on the domination and mutualism dimensions.

Mutualist wildlife value orientation

Scores high in mutualism and low in domination; most strongly views wildlife as part of an extended social network.

Traditionalist (utilitarian) wildlife value orientation

Scores high in domination and low or midpoint in mutualism; strongly believes wildlife should be used and managed for people's benefit.

Pluralist wildlife value orientation

Scores high in both mutualism and domination; emphasizes one orientation over the other depending on the situation or context.

Distanced wildlife value orientation

Scores low in both mutualism and domination; shows relatively little thought about or interest in wildlife.

How is mutualism related to wildlife-management attitudes?

Positively correlated with restricting humans to benefit wildlife, protecting wildlife habitat, and collaborating with others such as NGOs.

How is mutualism related to wildlife-related behaviors?

Positively correlated with wildlife observation, birding, and environmental education; negatively correlated with hunting, fishing, and trapping.

What other attitudes are negatively correlated with mutualism?

Support for lethal removal of carnivores, private property rights that disregard the environment, and trust in state wildlife management agencies.

How are wildlife management agencies responding to changing wildlife values?

Responses vary: some develop wildlife-viewing plans and non-consumptive recreation opportunities, some focus on recruiting and retaining traditionalist groups, and some do both.

Why should conservationists understand wildlife values rather than simply try to change them?

Values change slowly and not quickly enough to solve immediate wildlife issues. Understanding values helps managers work with different perspectives and serve their constituencies.

What is modernization?

A sociological concept describing countries becoming wealthier and more developed, often involving technological advancement, mechanization, urbanization, and disconnection from natural resources and wildlife.

How can modernization contribute to shifts toward mutualism?

Modernization can create more distant interactions with wildlife and reduce people's direct exposure to wildlife dangers, contributing to changes in wildlife values.

What is anthropomorphism?

The human tendency to assign human characteristics, motives, behaviors, and abilities to nonhuman entities, particularly animals.

What factors can contribute to anthropomorphism?

A need for belonging, perceived similarity between animals and humans, perceived similarity to pets, and related personal experiences.

How can anthropomorphism influence conservation?

It can make wildlife emotionally relatable, increase concern, and motivate people to support conservation.

What was the significance of J35 (Tahlequah)?

The orca's prolonged carrying of her dead calf attracted public attention and emotional identification, bringing the extinction crisis facing southern resident killer whales to the forefront for many people.

What are potential drawbacks of anthropomorphism?

Misplaced human-like treatment of wildlife, such as hand-feeding or keeping wild animals as pets; increased risk of negative wildlife interactions; emotion-based decisions that override scientific evidence; and potentially counterproductive management outcomes.

Why can anthropomorphism be both helpful and harmful?

It can build empathy and motivate conservation, but it can also encourage inappropriate interactions or decisions that conflict with wildlife needs and scientific evidence.

How do wildlife values affect management and policy?

Different wildlife value orientations shape public attitudes, behaviors, and support for management decisions, so managers need to understand differing perspectives.

What are the main takeaways about wildlife values?

Values significantly influence how people behave toward wildlife; understanding values helps shape management decisions and practices.

What is the main conservation takeaway about anthropomorphism?

Anthropomorphism shapes perceptions of wildlife and behavior toward wildlife, so it should be used carefully to support conservation goals.