Article
Psychological Pathways to Ocean Conservation: A Study of Marine Mammal Park Visitors João Neves 1, * , Jean-Christophe Giger 2,3 , João Oliveira 1 , Leonor Pacheco 1 , Guilherme Gonçalves 1 , Ana A. Silva 1 and Inês Costa 1 1 2 3
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Citation: Neves, J.; Giger, J.-C.;
Department of Science and Conservation, Zoomarine Algarve, 8201-864 Albufeira, Portugal Psychology Research Centre (CIP), University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; jhgiger@ualg.pt Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal Correspondence: jpcneves@gmail.com
Abstract: This study investigated the psychological constructs related to ocean conservation among visitors to a marine mammal park in Portugal. A survey was conducted with 335 adult visitors, assessing value orientations, awareness of ocean vulnerability, attribution of responsibility, personal norms, and behavioral intentions towards ocean conservation. The results revealed two distinct attitudinal profiles among the visitors. ‘Anthropocentric visitors’ prioritize human interests over environmental concerns, along with heightened awareness of the ocean’s vulnerability and greater ascription of responsibility to humans for environmental problems. ‘Ecocentric visitors’ recognize the intrinsic worth of nature, reporting deeper awareness of the consequences of environmental issues on the ocean, more robust personal norms centered on moral obligations towards conservation and higher behavioral intentions to support ocean conservation. Compared to whale-watching tourists from a previous study, the zoo visitors exhibited more polarized anthropocentric and ecocentric profiles, suggesting the whale-watching tourists fell somewhere between the two zoo visitor profiles in their psychological orientations. These contrasting profiles emphasize the heterogeneity in environmental attitudes and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to resonate with the distinct psychological motivations of different audience segments. Institutions like zoos can play a vital role in shaping public attitudes through targeted communication strategies aligned with visitors’ unique value systems and beliefs.
Oliveira, J.; Pacheco, L.; Gonçalves, G.; Silva, A.A.; Costa, I. Psychological Pathways to Ocean Conservation: A
Keywords: theory; nature-based tourism; zoo; ocean conservation; behavioral intentions; anthropocentric values; biocentric values; marine conservation; marine park
Study of Marine Mammal Park Visitors. J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2024, 5, 465–480. https://doi.org/10.3390/ jzbg5030031
1. Introduction
Academic Editor: Ashley N. Edes
Scientific understanding and cultural perceptions of the ocean have evolved significantly over time, potentially influencing public awareness of marine conservation issues [1]. While pinpointing this change in the public awareness is challenging, public attention to and worry about marine conservation have demonstrably risen in recent times [2,3]. Several factors have contributed to this shift, including increased overall knowledge of environmental issues by the general society, as well as recent and relevant advances in marine and earth science. Social media and other sources of internet-based information have also played an increasingly relevant role in disseminating news on many global conservation-related issues [4]. Along with these, media coverage has also contributed to raising awareness of the ocean through increasingly available documentaries, news reports and campaigns about the dire state of the oceans [5]. Added to all these, increased efforts to close the gap between science and the layperson by communicating recent advances in science to the public in simpler and more comprehensible forms have helped shape public opinion and increase support for marine conservation measures [6]. As a result, public interest increased, along with public understanding of ocean issues, encouraging people
Received: 6 June 2024 Revised: 30 July 2024 Accepted: 30 July 2024 Published: 1 August 2024
Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2024, 5, 465–480. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg5030031
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jzbg