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Ibbett H, Jones JP, Dorward L, Kohi EM, Dwiyahreni AA, Prayitno K, Sankeni S, Kaduma J, Mchomvu J, Saputra AW, Sabiladiyni H, Supriatna J, St John FAV. A mixed methods approach for measuring topic sensitivity in conservation. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2023; 5:1245-1261. [PMID: 37560063 PMCID: PMC7614907 DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Conservationists increasingly aim to understand human behaviour to inform intervention design. However, obtaining information from people about their behaviour can be challenging, particularly if the research topic is considered sensitive. Topic sensitivity may raise methodological, ethical, political and legal concerns which, if poorly addressed, can have significant impacts on research participants, the research process, data quality and the success of conservation outcomes that are informed by research findings. While considerable effort has been invested in developing techniques for reducing bias when collecting data on sensitive topics, less attention has been focused on identifying if, and why, a topic is sensitive.We use a mixed methods approach to explore how willing people are to discuss topics that could be considered sensitive (e.g. illegal wildlife hunting). Collecting data from people living near protected areas in Indonesia (n = 362) and Tanzania (n = 345), we developed and tested a psychometric scale to measure topic sensitivity at the respondent level and conducted group exercises (free-lists and pile sorts) to gain a deeper understanding of peoples' willingness to discuss different topics.The perceived sensitivity of topics varied both within and between the two focal contexts, with more topics being perceived as sensitive in Tanzania than Indonesia. Participants' knowledge of rules, and their experiences of living alongside protected areas affected how sensitive they considered topics to be.Mixed methods approaches can provide holistic and nuanced understanding of topic sensitivity. However, recognising that in-depth studies are not always feasible to implement, we demonstrate that methods, such as our Sensitivity Index, can easily be adapted for different contexts and deployed to rapidly obtain valuable insights on topic sensitivity, to help inform conservation research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Ibbett
- School of Natural Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Julia P.G. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Leejiah Dorward
- School of Natural Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Edward M. Kohi
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Asri A. Dwiyahreni
- Research Centre for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Karlina Prayitno
- Research Centre for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Stephen Sankeni
- Conservation and Human Behaviour Research Group, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Joseph Kaduma
- Conservation and Human Behaviour Research Group, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Jesca Mchomvu
- Conservation and Human Behaviour Research Group, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | | | | | - Jatna Supriatna
- Research Centre for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Freya A. V. St John
- Research Centre for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Al Mamun A, Rahman MK, Masud MM, Mohiuddin M. Willingness to pay premium prices for green buildings: evidence from an emerging economy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27998-9. [PMID: 37273051 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The building sector is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which may impede the achievement of Malaysia's intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) by 2030. Therefore, this paper is aimed at identifying the underlying factors that affect working adults' willingness to pay (WTP) premium prices for green buildings. Data were collected from a total of 1198 respondents and analyzed using structural equitation modeling partial least square (SEM-PLS) to measure the willingness to pay for green buildings among working adults in Malaysia. The findings reveal that environmental literacy affects environmental belief as well as awareness of consequences among working adults in Malaysia. The findings also reveal that incentives for green building buyers have a significant impact on perceived behavioral control, while awareness of consequences has a significant influence on ascription of responsibility. However, the results reveal that awareness of consequences does not influence buyers' willingness to pay for green buildings. Moreover, the ascription of responsibility and perceived behavioral control have a significant effect on willingness to pay for green buildings. The findings of this study will help the concerned authorities to take appropriate steps to promote willingness to pay for green buildings, which will contribute significantly to the realization of INDC by 2030 as part of the Paris Agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Mamun
- UKM - Graduate School of Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
| | - Muhammad Khalilur Rahman
- Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Angkasa-UMK Research Academy, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Mehedi Masud
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Mohiuddin
- Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
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Carlson SC, Dietsch AM, Slagle KM, Bruskotter JT. Effect of semantics in the study of tolerance for wolves. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14003. [PMID: 36098633 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As conservation scholars increasingly recognize the critical role of human thought and behavior in determining the persistence of biodiversity across the globe, a growing line of inquiry regarding the validity and comparability of previous applications of core psychological concepts has emerged. Specifically, inconsistent measurement and use of terms, such as attitudes and acceptance, reveal important questions about previous approaches. Given that these concepts differ by definition, yet have been used interchangeably, we explored what drives differences in people's responses when each concept is operationalized in the context of a contested wildlife species, the gray wolf (Canis lupus). To do so, we used data from a 2014 survey of U.S. residents (n = 1287) to test how measures of six concepts (i.e., acceptance, attitudes, benefits, risks, [prior] behavior, and behavioral intentions) often employed in the conservation social sciences were related with a broad set of possible explanatory variables. Despite moderate to strong correlations between all concepts measured (| Pearson's r | = 0.39-0.65, p < 0.001), results revealed considerable variation in their respective relationships with identical explanatory variables. Specifically, although wildlife value orientation (i.e., domination or mutualism) operated fairly consistently across cognitive and behavioral concepts, the relationship between the six concepts and other factors, such as social trust, identification with various interest groups (i.e., hunter, farmer, or rancher, environmentalist, and animal rights advocate), and political ideology (i.e., liberal vs. conservative), varied considerably. Our findings underscore that differences exist in these measures, which could have serious implications for conservationists integrating social science findings in their decision-making processes if they are unaware of the theoretical underpinnings of and distinctions between core psychological concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby C Carlson
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Alia M Dietsch
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kristina M Slagle
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jeremy T Bruskotter
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Spears JG, Wallen KE, Osborne DC. Value similarity and trustworthiness predict support for waterfowl management policy. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jake G. Spears
- Arkansas Forest Resources Center, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Arkansas at Monticello 110 University Court Monticello AR 71656 USA
| | - Kenneth E. Wallen
- Arkansas Forest Resources Center, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Arkansas at Monticello 110 University Court Monticello AR 71656 USA
| | - Douglas C. Osborne
- Arkansas Forest Resources Center, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Arkansas at Monticello 110 University Court Monticello AR 71656 USA
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Dietsch AM, Wallen KE, Clayton S, Kretser HE, Kyle GT, Ma Z, Vercammen A. Introduction: New directions in conservation psychology at a critical time. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1335-1338. [PMID: 33245806 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A M Dietsch
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Kottman Hall 210, Columbus, OH, 43210, U.S.A
| | - K E Wallen
- Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1139, Moscow, ID, 83844-1139, U.S.A
| | - S Clayton
- Psychology Department, The College of Wooster, 930 College Mall, Wooster, OH, 44691, U.S.A
| | - H E Kretser
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Saranac Lake, NY, 12983, U.S.A
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10460, U.S.A
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - G T Kyle
- Rangeland, Wildlife, Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-2138, U.S.A
| | - Z Ma
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 195 Marsteller Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2033, U.S.A
| | - A Vercammen
- Imperial College London, Centre for Environmental Policy, Weeks Hall, 16-18 Princes Gardens, Knightsbridge, SW7 1NE, U.K
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