Conservation

Effectiveness of Value-Framing and Message Valence on Audience Engagement

LINK: https://gep.psychopen.eu/index.php/gep/article/view/11181 Changing public behaviour is an essential step for successful conservation, and can be achieved through effective use of message framing. However, its use in the conservation sector is not well-studied. We first performed a content analysis to assess what types of framing styles environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs) often employ for their social media … [Read more…]

Using SMS surveys to understand songbird ownership and shark consumption in Indonesia

The unsustainable use of wildlife increases the risk of species extinction. In biodiversity-rich Indonesia, information on the scale of wildlife use is limited and requires further study. To address this, we explored the potential of text messaging (short message service; SMS) surveys to investigate levels and spatial patterns of domestic wildlife use, using songbird keeping … [Read more…]

Unveiling the Power of Flagship Individuals in Conservation: Fostering Empathy and Action

Conservation efforts have long relied on flagship species to rally support and drive meaningful change. However, recent studies have shed light on the profound impact of individual organisms in this narrative. These extraordinary beings, with their unique traits and compelling life stories, have emerged as powerful catalysts in inspiring empathy and spurring action within the … [Read more…]

Are Draculas the Pandas of the Orchid World?

Below a summary of a newly published article in Orchids! Orchids, often called the pandas of the plant world due to their captivating appeal, share a fame disparity similar to flagship animal species in conservation. While well-known orchids like Vanilla, Phalaenopsis, and Dendrobium attract attention, lesser-known species struggle for recognition, resembling the preference for charismatic … [Read more…]

Ethics in behavioral science

I am proud of having been part of the working group that put together the Social Marketing Statement of Ethics, which lays out key principles to be observed in the design of behaviour change. This has now been approved by the International Social Marketing Association and its regional affiliates given this document global klout in … [Read more…]

New video abstract!

Here is the new video abstract for the paper: Conservation fundraising: Evidence from social media and traditional mail field experiments. We compared three types of message frames (simple, seed money, and ecological). We found that the seed money frame, which emphasizes the amount already donated, increased the number of donors, whereas the ecological frame, which … [Read more…]

How good are we at changing behaviour for nature? 300,000 papers later here is what we found

I recently wrote a short summary of a review we published recently (more on that soon) for the excellent blog Please keep to the path! See below.. In a nutshell: When it comes to looking at changing actual behaviour to conserve the environment the evidence base is limited as most studies do not measure actual … [Read more…]

Enforcement: is more always better?

Malta is renowned as a “blackspot” for illegal bird hunting. This article describes Malta’s current enforcement efforts which, assisted by the Army, and surveillance technology such as drones, and have likely led to a reduction in crime. However, this article also describes how current conservation policies are being counterproductive. They are fostering a culture of … [Read more…]

The second extinction of forgotten species

We often think of extinction as happening out there, in far away wild places, but it also takes place right inside our minds, in our everyday conversations and on social media. Beyond biological extinction, which takes place when the last animal or plant of its kind dies, species can live on in our collective memory, … [Read more…]