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Van Lange PAM, Manesi Z. Reputation Reminders: When do Eye Cues Promote Prosocial Behavior? THE SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 26:e8. [PMID: 37127294 DOI: 10.1017/sjp.2023.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The watching eyes effect has gained significant attention in recent years both from scientists and from policy makers and professionals in the field. The phenomenon posits that the mere presence of eye cues can promote prosocial behavior. However, there is a growing debate about the generality of the effect across various measures and contexts. This review seeks to combine various distinct -and formerly isolated- perspectives by identifying four key components for effective interventions based on the watching eyes effect: Anonymity, crowdedness, costs, and exposure. Eye cues need to reduce perceived anonymity, be placed in non-crowded places, target low-cost prosocial acts and appear for a short amount of time. Next to these conditions, we discuss implications for other cues to reputation and recommend directions that will stimulate further research and applications in society.
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van Tongeren E, Sistri G, Zingaro V, Cini A, Dapporto L, Portera M. Assessing the aesthetic attractivity of European butterflies: A web-based survey protocol. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283360. [PMID: 37167232 PMCID: PMC10174575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aesthetic attractivity stands as an underestimated yet fundamental feature of species in conservation biology, significantly driving disproportionate protection efforts towards charismatic species. Despite the evidence, few attempts sought to precisely quantify the impact of aesthetic attractivity in defining priority of species for conservation actions (e.g. inclusion in International Union for Conservation of Nature red lists and protection lists). This study protocol describes the setting of an online test (available from April 2022 to April 2023 at www.unveiling.eu) designed to i) quantify the aesthetic attractivity to humans of the 496 European butterfly species and ii) identify which features (both in the perceived animal and in the perceiver) influence the aesthetic attractivity of a given butterfly species. The test is divided in 5 sections (personal data, ranking, single morphological features, emotional engagement, dispositional variables) aimed at profiling the relation each participant has with the species examined. In the long-term, evaluating butterflies' aesthetic attractivity could facilitate the critical assessment of current conservation strategies, such as the process of selection of flag and umbrella species by research institutions, environmental associations and Non Governative Organizations. This is expected to provide the much-needed evidence to set up unbiased biodiversity conservation strategies and counteract the selective anthropogenic pressure which favours the extinction of unattractive species, being no or less protected compared to charismatic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia van Tongeren
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ginevra Sistri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Zingaro
- Department of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Dapporto
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Portera
- Department of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Lim VC, Sing KW, Chong KY, Jaturas N, Dong H, Lee PS, Tao NT, Le DT, Bonebrake TC, Tsang TPN, Chu L, Brandon-Mong GJ, Kong WL, Soga M, Wilson JJ. Familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies of urban park users in megacities across East and Southeast Asia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220161. [PMID: 36405642 PMCID: PMC9653264 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Perceptions of, and attitudes toward, wildlife are influenced by exposure to, and direct experiences with, nature. Butterflies are a conspicuous and ubiquitous component of urban nature across megacities that are highly urbanized with little opportunity for human-nature interactions. We evaluated public familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies across nine megacities in East and Southeast Asia through face-to-face interviews with 1774 urban park users. A total of 79% of respondents had seen butterflies in their cities mostly in urban parks, indicating widespread familiarity with butterflies. Those who had seen butterflies also had higher perceptions of butterflies, whereas greater than 50% of respondents had positive attitudes toward butterflies. Frequent visits to natural places in urban neighbourhoods was associated with (i) sightings of caterpillars, indicating increased familiarity with urban wildlife, and (ii) increased connectedness to nature. We found two significant positive relationships: (i) between connectedness to nature and attitudes toward butterflies and (ii) between connectedness to nature and perceptions of butterflies, firmly linking parks users' thoughts and feelings about butterflies with their view of nature. This suggests that butterflies in urban parks can play a key role in building connectedness to nature and consequently pro-environmental behaviours and support for wildlife conservation among urban residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Voon-Ching Lim
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, 18110, Saraburi, Thailand
| | - Kong-Wah Sing
- South China DNA Barcoding Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Kwek Yan Chong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Republic of Singapore
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569, Republic of Singapore
| | - Narong Jaturas
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Hui Dong
- Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping-Shin Lee
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 24100, People's Republic of China
| | - Nguyen Thien Tao
- Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Genome Research, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
- Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Graduate University of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Dzung Trung Le
- Ministry of Education and Training, 35 Dai Co Viet Road, Hai Ba Trung District, Vietnam
| | | | - Toby P. N. Tsang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto-Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leo Chu
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RH, UK
| | - Guo-Jie Brandon-Mong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wye-Lup Kong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Biodiversity Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Masashi Soga
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - John-James Wilson
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation of Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 24100, People's Republic of China
- Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EN, UK
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Greyvenstein B, du Plessis H, van den Berg J. The charismatic praying mantid: A gateway for insect conservation. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2020.1732834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Greyvenstein
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Hannalene du Plessis
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Johnnie van den Berg
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Manesi Z, Van Lange PAM, Pollet TV. Eyes Wide Open. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 14:1474704916640780. [PMCID: PMC10480806 DOI: 10.1177/1474704916640780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Research from evolutionary psychology suggests that the mere presence of eye images can promote prosocial behavior. However, the “eye images effect” is a source of considerable debate, and findings across studies have yielded somewhat inconsistent support. We suggest that one critical factor may be whether the eyes really need to be watching to effectively enhance prosocial behavior. In three experiments, we investigated the impact of eye images on prosocial behavior, assessed in a laboratory setting. Participants were randomly assigned to view an image of watching eyes (eyes with direct gaze), an image of nonwatching eyes (i.e., eyes closed for Study 1 and averted eyes for Studies 2 and 3), or an image of flowers (control condition). Upon exposure to the stimuli, participants decided whether or not to help another participant by completing a dull cognitive task. Three independent studies produced somewhat mixed results. However, combined analysis of all three studies, with a total of 612 participants, showed that the watching component of the eyes is important for decision-making in this context. Images of watching eyes led to significantly greater inclination to offer help as compared to images of nonwatching eyes (i.e., eyes closed and averted eyes) or images of flowers. These findings suggest that eyes gazing at an individual, rather than any proxy to social presence (e.g., just the eyes), serve as a reminder of reputation. Taken together, we conclude that it is “eyes that pay attention” that can lift the veil of anonymity and potentially facilitate prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoi Manesi
- Social and Organizational Psychology, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul A. M. Van Lange
- Social and Organizational Psychology, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas V. Pollet
- Social and Organizational Psychology, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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