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Building tolerance for bears: A communications experiment
Author(s) -
Slagle Kristina,
Zajac Ryan,
Bruskotter Jeremy,
Wilson Robyn,
Prange Suzie
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.1002/jwmg.515
Subject(s) - control (management) , perception , stakeholder , variance (accounting) , analysis of variance , psychology , significant difference , social psychology , applied psychology , computer science , statistics , business , public relations , mathematics , political science , accounting , neuroscience , artificial intelligence
The present study examined the feasibility of experimentally manipulating perceptions of benefit and control via communications to increase public acceptance of bears. We assigned subjects to either a pseudo‐control (basic bear biology message) or 1 of 3 treatments adding a benefits message, a perceived control message, or combining messages about both benefits and perceived control. Within‐subjects pre–post t ‐tests showed a significant increase in acceptance among those in the benefits and combined treatments. A between‐subjects 1‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference between the perceived control and combined treatments (where the perceived control message actually decreased acceptance). Our results highlight the importance of including information about benefits stemming from the presence of black bears, as adding this information tended to increase stakeholder acceptance of black bear populations. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.