Understanding Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Intentions in Visitors to a Zoo-Based Seal Encounter

Abstract

Increasing pro-environmental behavior may combat environmental deterioration and promote animal and human welfare. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we investigated how an Australian zoo-based seal encounter influenced participants’ pro-environmental intentions and behavior at 1-month follow-up. Participants were 113 seal encounter visitors, with n = 29 providing 1-month post-encounter data. Pre-encounter, participants reported past and intended pro-environmental behaviors, and TPB constructs (attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective and moral norms). Post-encounter, participants rated their experience and future pro-environmental intentions. At 1-month follow-up, participants again reported their pro-environmental behaviors. The model explained past pro-environmental behaviors and future behavioral intentions (but not plastic use specifically), with subjective norms being the most important. Unlike past research, moral norms were not significant, perhaps due to the zoo-based research context. Importantly, participants reported a decrease in plastic use 1-month post-encounter. These findings provide suggestions for zoos to design encounters targeting subjective norms to promote pro-environmental behavior.