Conservation Intentions Research Articles

Collision of tradition and visual perception: aesthetic evaluation and conservation intent in adapting traditional Chinese gates within architectural heritage

ABSTRACT The sustainable conservation of architectural heritage has attracted significant attention, especially with the rapid development of heritage tourism. Adaptation is a compromise to allow heritage to meet modern development demands; however, unregulated adaptations pose significant risks to sustainable conservation. This study involved 60 participants in a quasi-experimental investigation, using eye-tracking technology combined with evaluation questionnaires. The aim was to explore how material, ornament, and generational age differences impact aesthetic evaluation, visual attention, and conservation intention toward traditional Chinese architectural gates. The results show a general preference for traditional materials (wood) and intricate ornament (Ice Crack), with participants displaying a stronger conservation intention toward these elements. Notably, generational differences were evident, with older participants showing longer visual engagement with architectural heritage design elements. This study extends aesthetic response theory into the heritage domain, emphasizing material authenticity and design complexity in shaping conservation attitudes. It offers valuable insights for heritage adaptation strategies, emphasizing the need to balance historical authenticity with aesthetic appeal to enhance public engagement.

Catalysing sustainable development through water conservation: Insights from Malaysia

This study aims to investigate the attitudinal predictors (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control) of consumers’ water conservation intentions. The average daily water usage among consumers in Malaysia is 201 litres higher than the recommended 165 litres by the United Nations. Furthermore, based on the National Water Resource Study (2000-2050), water consumption is expected to rise by 103% by 2050. The water issues require decisive action to ensure sufficient clean water resources for future generations. Thus, educating consumers regarding water saving is of paramount importance in ensuring sufficient water resources and achieving SDGs. Data were collected via 320 questionnaires, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate a positively significant association between attitudinal predictors and Water Conservation Intention among Malaysian consumers. Interestingly, income level exhibits a clear negative and significant relationship with Water Conservation Intention. This implies that income level does not influence consumer’s attitudes. The findings in this paper contribute to the essential component of holistic and integrated governance frameworks aimed at achieving sustainable and inclusive development for water management in Malaysia. This study contributes to the scarce yet crucial body of evidence regarding water-conservation efforts to ensure sustainable water management practices.

Place attachment, spirituality and residential water conservation behaviour in Australia’s Northern Territory: application of an extended protection motivation theory

ABSTRACT Despite warnings of impending water scarcity concerns, most residents persistently engage in excessive water consumption behaviours, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This has spurred interest in understanding why water demand management strategies fail to foster voluntary residential conservation behaviours. Recent literature indicates a lack of consideration of cultural factors that may influence residential water conservation. Thus, this study draws on and extends the protection motivation theory with place attachment and spirituality to examine how cultural and psychological factors influence residential water conservation intention and behaviour. Analysing 346 survey responses, the study reveals that place attachment amplifies vulnerability and severity perceptions regarding water scarcity concerns and significantly drives perceptions of self and response efficacies for water conservation intention and behaviour. In particular, the study reveals that as a resident’s spirituality increases, the intention for water conservation behaviour reduces. The study highlights theoretical and practical implications for scholars and policymakers.

Assessing the suitability of groundwater resources based on farmers’ predicted intentions and human–water feedbacks

In this study, a behavioral −hydrological simulation modeling framework is developed to explore the functioning of human-water systems. The main objective is to identify the psycho-social factors affecting water conservation intentions among farmers, and then realize the interactions and bidirectional feedback between humans and water resources. For this purpose, the agent-based modeling (ABM) and extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) is recruited to reflect on the agents’ behaviors. As the first step, the framework of the extended TPB together with the agent behavior was designed via field researches through the completion of 169 questionnaires upon proportional-to-size (PPS) random sampling. The partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is then implemented, at the second step, to analyze the data and obtain the weights of the extended TPB constructs. The results reveal that the constructs supplemented to the TPB, including moral norms (MNs) and perceived risk (PR), could have significant effects on water conservation intentions and behaviors among farmers. At the last step, the farmers and their decision-making as the dynamic elements by obtaining feedbacks of water resources were modeled using the ABM. To evaluate the proposed framework, the recorded data of groundwater fluctuations and cultivated areas in the Lenjanat plain is utilized and compared with the socio-hydrological simulation modeling outcomes using the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient. Then, five scenarios are defined to shed light on the changes in the agent behavior on the aquifer suitability, including water consumption rate and groundwater levels in the aquifer. The results correspondingly demonstrated that merging the second and third scenarios in an effort to raise the prices of crops with low water need along with the increase in utility costs (here, water and electricity) could lead to a 75% increase of farmers’ income and a 21.5% reduction in the surface and groundwater uses in this region, implying the highest level of water conservation among other scenarios.

Participatory intention and behavior in green cultural heritage conservation: an application of the extended theory of planned behavior

Cultural heritage is an important contributor to sustainable urban development, and its conservation is considered a global task. Previous research has primarily focused on the conservation of heritage buildings within architectural contexts and world heritage sites within geographical contexts. However, there is a notable gap in conservation of green cultural heritage (GCH) within a landscape-based framework. This study used the extended theory of planned behavior to explore the factors and pathways that influence the public's behavioral intentions toward GCH conservation. Based on 1075 questionnaires collected in Tokyo, Japan, the hypotheses of the newly constructed theoretical model were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that perceived behavioral control has the greatest positive influence on citizens' GCH conservation intentions and behaviors, while social norms do not influence people's behavioral intention to conserve. In the extended factors, the environmental awareness which including heritage awareness and cultural attachment, significantly influences public attitudes towards conservation. Additionally, environmental perception, including perceived usefulness and perceived quality, significantly affects the public's conservation intentions and behaviors, respectively. Our findings have implications for local governments and policymakers to enhance public participation in GCH, as well as some several new theoretical interests for further studies.

Exploring the drivers behind women’s intentions towards climate change mitigation through urban forest conservation

Public participation in urban forest conservation has significant potential for climate change mitigation. However, there is limited research specifically addressing women's behavioral intentions towards participating in urban forest conservation for this purpose, despite the increasing recognition of the importance of gender-specific perspectives in climate change mitigation. Understanding women's intentions towards engaging in urban forest conservation is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate climate change. This study aims to explore the influencing factors that shape women's intentions towards urban forest conservation as a measure to mitigate climate change. The extended theory of planned behavior serves as the theoretical framework, incorporating climate change awareness and perceived benefits of urban forests for climate change mitigation. A sample of 391 women participated in the study, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that the original model accounted for 48 % of the variance in women's intentions towards urban forest conservation. By incorporating additional constructs into the extended model, the explanatory power increased to 66 %. Furthermore, the data analysis demonstrated that all variables in both the original and extended models significantly influenced women's intentions for urban forest conservation. In developed model the climate change awareness (ƛ= 0.366), perceived behavioral control (ƛ= 0.256), perceived benefits of urban forests (ƛ= 0.240), subjective norms (ƛ= 0.182), and attitude (ƛ= 0.145), had the most impact, respectively. These findings emphasize the importance of considering psychological factors in promoting women's active involvement in urban forest conservation for effective climate change mitigation. The study has important policy implications, as policymakers and practitioners should prioritize efforts to enhance climate change awareness among women and emphasize the perceived benefits of urban forests in addressing climate change. Further research is warranted to explore behavioral patterns and actual conservation practices among women in diverse cultural and social contexts.

Beyond biophobia: positive appraisal of bats among German residents during the COVID-19 pandemic - with consequences for conservation intentions

Bats are often considered to be objects of biophobia, i.e., the tendency to respond with a negative emotion, such as fear or disgust, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing studies have rarely compared both positive and negative emotions towards bats, leading to a potential negativity bias. This is crucial given the importance of emotions to bat-related human behaviours, such as in bat conservation-related actions. Via two online surveys conducted among German residents, we aimed to (i) assess positive and negative emotions towards bats, (ii) examine emotional shifts during the pandemic and (iii) explore how emotions, along with socio-demographics, predict the intent to perform bat-conservation actions. The first survey was undertaken ten months after the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020 - January 2021), when bats gained societal attention due to speculation about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the second one ran twelve months later (January 2022). Overall, respondents held higher positive emotions than negative ones towards bats in both surveys, with no significant emotional shift observed. Positive emotions positively correlated with intentions to perform bat-conservation actions, while negative emotions showed no such relationship. Although our findings might be context-specific to populations in Germany or Europe, given European-Union legislation protecting bats and their habitats, they highlight the nuanced and complicated emotions that can be associated with certain species. Understanding these emotions can guide targeted conservation strategies and public outreach. Our results caution against overly generalising discussions of biophobia in conservation.

Do generational differences determine the conservation intention and behavior towards sacred trees?

Conserving sacred trees is of paramount importance for preserving biodiversity and safeguarding biocultural heritage. However, evolving perceptions across generations raise concerns about the future existence of these significant landscape elements. The objective of this study is to examine the factors influencing the intention and behavior of two generations towards sacred tree conservation. In this research, we integrate "cultural values" and "religious values" as new variables into an extended theory of planned behavior. A questionnaire survey was conducted, involving 399 individuals representing both young and old generations. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. The research variables explained 57 % and 60 % of the variance in intentions and 7 % and 81 % of the variance in actual behaviors for the young and old generations, respectively. Attitude was found to be crucial in shaping intentions for both generations. Subjective norms significantly influenced the intentions of the older generation but were not observed among the younger generation. Perceived behavioral control had a positive impact on intentions in both age groups, although its effect on actual behavior varied. While it translated into conservation behavior among the older generation, it did not have the same effect on the younger generation. Furthermore, cultural and religious values positively influenced intentions in both generations, but their impact on behavior differed. While these values influenced the behavior of the older generation, they did not translate into actual conservation practices among the younger generation. These findings emphasize the interplay of generational differences, cultural values, and religious values in shaping conservation intentions and behaviors.Given the crucial role of the younger generation in the future of sacred trees, targeted conservation initiatives addressing their specific needs are essential, as they exhibit lower intentions and behaviors towards conservation. This study provides valuable insights for designing effective strategies for the sustainable conservation of sacred trees and the fostering of biocultural heritage.

Turkish and German university students’ emotions and protection intentions regarding wolves and wild boars

Emotional responses to wildlife can guide human responses to wildlife conflicts. At the same time, responses to wildlife often relate to cultural contexts. In this study, emotions associated with wolves and wild boars were examined in two samples taken from Turkish (N = 637) and German (N = 415) university students. As expected, different patterns of emotional responses emerged in the two samples. For example, while negative emotions such as disgust and anger toward the wild boar were prevalent in the Turkish sample, positive emotions such as joy, surprise, and interest occurred in the German sample. Significant differences between the emotions associated with wolves and wild boars were revealed in both samples. In the Turkish sample, wolves caused stronger fear, joy, and interest, whereas wild boars caused stronger anger and disgust. In the German sample, wolves caused stronger joy, surprise, interest, and sadness, whereas wild boars caused stronger disgust. Fear, however, was expressed toward both wolves and wild boars in both samples. The predictive power of emotions on students’ intentions to protect wild boars and wolves was examined as well as intentions to protect human interests against these animals. Disgust was the strongest (negative) predictor of a protection intention toward the wild boar in the Turkish sample. In the German sample, joy and interest were the emotions that best predicted conservation intentions (positive) for both animals.

The influence of water rights transfer policy on farmers' intention to conserve water

Abstract Exploring the factors influencing farmers' water conservation intentions under the water rights transfer policy is crucial for developing equitable water rights systems and safeguarding farmers' interests. Leveraging data from 608 respondents in the Yellow Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia, China, integrating the theory of planned behavior and the theory of perceived value, we present an analytical framework to investigate the factors affecting farmers' water conservation intentions through structural equation modeling. Our findings reveal the following: firstly, farmers' water conservation intentions are predominantly influenced by subjective norms, behavioral attitudes, perceived behavioral control, perceived benefits, and perceived risks; secondly, perceived behavioral control exerts the most significant impact on farmers' water conservation intention, whereas subjective norms have the weakest influence. This implies that farmers’ water conservation intention is not closely related to subjective norms in the context of mandatory water-saving interventions; lastly, the paths leading to farmers' water conservation intention include ‘perceived benefits/perceived risks → behavioral intention,’ and an indirect path through ‘perceived benefits/perceived risks → behavioral attitudes → behavioral intention’. Consequently, reducing the water-saving technology complexity, harnessing the influence of neighboring communities and water user associations, and enhancing farmers' compensation are effective strategies to bolster farmers' intention to engage in water conservation.

Exploring Visitors’ Pro-environmental Behaviors at Urban Forest Destinations

Our theoretical framework was intricately crafted to illuminate the decision-making dynamics of visitors in urban forest destinations. The primary objectives of this study were to scrutinize visitors' pro-environmental behavior (PRB), employing the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as a foundational framework, and extending it by incorporating key factors such as connectedness to nature, biospheric value, environmental empathy, attitude, positive anticipated emotion, moral norms, subjective norms, and natural/local resource conservation intentions, within the unique context of urban forest destinations. Utilizing GSCAM, the framework’s measurement quality is affirmed as being adequate. Findings from the structural model and necessary condition analysis (NCA) robustly supported the hypothesized associations within the proposed theoretical framework. Notably, cognitive and affective appraisals, along with moral considerations, emerged as salient in shaping visitor intentions. Furthermore, empirical support was observed for the hypothesized impact of natural resource conservation intentions on determining PRB, providing nuanced insights into the factors influencing pro-environmental actions in urban forest destinations. This comprehensive approach not only enhances theoretical understanding but also offers practical applications for promoting sustainable behaviors in these unique settings.

Uncovering hidden determinants of millennial farmers’ intentions in running conservation agriculture: An application of the Norm Activation Model

Abstract Land degradation in mountainside areas is a serious threat that requires conservation actions, and the role of millennial farmers in this issue is crucial for future agricultural land sustainability. The perception of degraded land condition (LC) and the risk of farming due to ongoing agricultural land degradation (RISK) are suspected to be able to drive the intention to make conservation efforts. Based on the norm activation model, this study aims to analyze the influence of millennial farmers’ perceptions on the condition of degraded agricultural land and the risk of land degradation on their intention to perform conservation-based potato farming (CBPF). This study involved 169 millennial potato farmers on the western slope of Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia. Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey from January to March 2022. The hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that more than 90% of respondents stated that agricultural land had been degraded. The risk and personal norms (PN) have a significant effect on the intention of CPBF (β = 0.144, β = 0.505; p-value <0.01), respectively. Unexpectedly, LC did not directly affect the intention to practice CPBF (β = 0.076, p-value = 0.159). This study provides insight into understanding the behavioral intentions of agricultural land conservation, especially millennial farmers’ perceptions of land degradation in their farming areas. To encourage the millennial farmers’ agricultural land conservation intentions, it should be started by increasing the awareness of farmers’ PN since they only pay little attention to degraded LC.

The role of hope and conservation attitudes in current conservation actions and future conservation intentions

Current community-led conservation (CLC) actions support present and future biodiversity. Present-day conservation volunteer efforts are measurable; however, future CLC activity is uncertain. Understanding what motivates volunteers to take part in CLC activities is therefore essential. This study investigates the relationships between hope, conservation attitudes, current conservation action, and future conservation intention. We use Snyder’s adult hope state scale to explore the relationship between hope, conservation attitudes, self-reported current conservation actions, and future conservation intentions (planting, weeding, predator control) of 243 adult Aotearoa New Zealand participants. The relationship of hope and conservation attitudes to current conservation action and future conservation intention is complex. Specifically, hope relates to future conservation intention but is not associated with current conservation action. Furthermore, hope negatively correlated with intending volunteer belief that nature could heal itself. Volunteers with future conservation intentions hold conservation attitudes that actively connect people to nature and other people and show commitment to the natural world. Intending volunteers also feel able to help others learn about the natural world, value scientific and technological interventions, and the relative importance of individual effort, teamwork, and collaboration. Volunteers currently active in conservation solely held attitudes of connection to nature, connection to other people, commitment to the natural world, and helping others learn about the natural world. Understanding what motivates volunteers to undertake conservation action is critical to designing sustainable CLC projects that deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity in the long term.

Electricity conservation intention among university students in northern Ghana: An assessment of the drivers for some electrical appliances

University students are among those associated with high energy consumption but with low conservational practices. Such behavior has serious implications on energy sustainability and emission of greenhouse gases. For developing countries, low electricity conservation increases the burden on utility companies and the government as a whole. Efforts to promote electricity conservation have led to an increased number of studies. However, such research have not given much consideration to the role of emotions as well as religion in energy conservation. Evidence from Ghana is also limited. This study examines the factors of electricity conservation intention among University students in Ghana. With the lens of the theory of planned behavior, electricity conservation intention associated with the usage of laptops, refrigerators, light and electric fans was assessed. Emotions and religion were included in the model to assess their effect. Data was collected through the administration of questionnaires to 204 university students. The findings from ordered probit regression indicate that subjective norms, perceived behaviourial control, attitude, emotions and religion influence the extent that students intend to conserve electricity. However, their effects were somehow found to be appliance-specific. The results suggest that continuous teaching of the need for electricity conservation at religious centers or among religious groups could generate some guaranteed levels of electricity conservation among students and may be, even among the larger population. Individuals that assume considerable importance in society should act as conservation leaders to promote such behavior among students and the general public.

Conceptualization of Farmers’ Water Conservation Intention and Behavior through the Lens of Economic Man Worldview: Application of Structural Equation Modeling

Although different worldviews have been presented to analyze the conservation behaviors of farmers, limited empirical evidence exists for the use of the economic man worldview to analyze farmers’ water conservation behaviors (WCBs). Therefore, the conceptualization of farmers’ water conservation behavioral intentions through the lens of this worldview was the primary objective of this survey. To this aim, the extended planned behavior theory (PBT), which is the main theory of the economic man worldview, was employed. The study population was 36183 Iranian farmers, 380 of whom were interviewed in-person in the form a cross-sectional survey research design. An estimation of sample size was performed via the Krejcie and Morgan Table. Moreover, the distribution of the sample size was carried out by a multi-stage random sampling method. Validity and reliability, which are undeniable features of questionnaires in social and psychological sciences, were examined using different quantitative and qualitative indices. The obtained results indicated that the effect of intention towards water conservation (IWC) on WCB was positive and significant. Therefore, this research supports the main assumption of the PBT and the economic man worldview. However, according to the results, the power of IWC’s effect on WCB is not very significant. In addition, the variance explanation of WCB as the fundamental dependent variable is not very high. It can be mentioned that the economic man worldview has a relative and moderate power to analyze the WCBs of farmers. Hence, it is suggested that some variables, including moral norms, environmental concerns, and environmental values, are used to develop and increase the explanatory power of the PBT in future studies. This study is the first study of the applicability of the economic man approach in analyzing farmers’ WCBs. It could be used to open a new research window for future and interested researchers to conduct successful interventions in the field of water conservation.

Mālama i ke kai: Exploring psychosocial factors associated with personal and community coral reef conservation behavior on Maui, Hawai‘i

AbstractLocal and community conservation efforts can increase coral reefs' capacity to adapt to climate change. In this community‐engaged study, we examine affective dimensions and other psychosocial factors associated with coastal user conservation intentions and behaviors on Maui, Hawai‘i. In October and November 2019, we surveyed coastal users (n = 299). We found natural place attachment, sense of responsibility, and concern for coral reef ecosystems were positively associated with personal conservation intentions; civic place attachment was positively associated with community conservation intentions; and natural place attachment was positively associated with signing the Pono Pledge, a voluntary conservation commitment. We found personal and community response efficacy were positively associated with corresponding levels of conservation intentions. Our results provide insights into psychosocial factors that may underpin coral reef conservation behavior and inform partner communications and outreach.

Tourists’ perceived destination image and heritage conservation intention: a comparative study of heritage and film-induced images

研究目标位于中国广东省的开平碉楼是联合国教科文组织认证的世界文化遗产, 并经常被用作电影拍摄地。本研究调查了影响开平碉楼影视旅游游客的遗产保护行为的前因。本研究采用刺激-有机体-反应 (SOR) 理论的概念, 探究电影和遗产所诱发的目的地形象、游客的感知真实性和目的地依恋, 对游客遗产保护意图的影响。研究设计和研究方法本研究共回收 391 份有效问卷, 并使用基于协方差的结构方程模型来检验研究假设。发现实证结果表明, 电影和遗产诱导的目的地形象都直接影响游客的遗产保护意愿。此外, 游客的感知真实性和目的地依恋完全中介了目的地形象与保护意愿之间的关系。但是在遗产目的地形象的模型中, 感知真实性和目的地依恋的串行多重中介效应不显着。独创性研究结果有助于通过目的地形象、感知真实性和目的地依恋来理解游客的遗产保护意图。本研究丰富了关于目的地形象建设和遗产保护的文献, 并对遗产旅游和遗产保护的可持续发展以及遗产地的营销产生了积极影响。

The impact of perceived threat and perceived coping efficacy on individual actions toward biodiversity conservation: a registered report

Biodiversity has decreased drastically over the last decades, posing an existential threat to all life on earth. Addressing this threat requires urgent actions to conserve biodiversity including changing the behavior of individuals to reduce their impacts on biodiversity. In the present research, we applied an emotion-based persuasion appeal model to biodiversity conservation, based on the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), to examine how behavioral change can be best communicated and promoted. We tested the predictions of the EPPM that perceived threat (and related increases in fear) as well as coping efficacy (and related increases in optimism) interactively contribute to fostering behavioral change towards biodiversity conservation. To that end, we conducted an online experiment (N = 510) where participants read a text on the threatened status of bumblebees, a concrete example of the broader challenge of protecting ecosystems and wildlife, and subsequently performed a task where they could earn money to spend for the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Results revealed no evidence for the assumptions of the EPPM, as neither manipulating perceived threat nor coping efficacy appraisal nor their interaction impacted consequential conservation behavior or self-reported conservation intention.

Film-Induced Tourism and Heritage Conservation: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore the direct and indirect relationships between a film-induced destination image and tourists’ heritage conservation intention through a serial multiple mediator model at a UNESCO heritage site in China. The serial mediation hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modeling with data collected from 447 valid questionnaires. The empirical results reveal that the film-induced image directly impacts tourists’ heritage conservation intention. Furthermore, tourists’ perceived authenticity and heritage-induced image fully mediate the relationship between film-induced image and conservation intention. Additionally, the serial multiple mediator effect of heritage image and perceived authenticity is also significant. The findings contribute to understanding film-induced tourists’ heritage conservation intention through the lens of destination image and perceived authenticity. The findings also enrich the film and heritage tourism literature regarding destination image construction and heritage conservation.

The perceived ethicality of promoting employee workplace energy conservation for a competitiveness reason

Literature of cleaner production demonstrates that the conduction of pro-environmental behaviour individually at work contributes to the improvement of an organisation's environmental performance. However, employees' intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviour are susceptible to their perceived ethicality towards organisational behaviours, such as workplace green initiatives. An ongoing issue is that whether symbolic motives, particularly, the competitiveness motive, to PEB is perceived ethical by employees to perform at the workplace context. With a specific focus on that matter, this study aims to examine employees' perceived ethicality of promoting workplace energy conservation based on a competitiveness (motivational) message as an intervention initiated by the organisation. Results from survey data (N = 200) indicate that promoting workplace energy conservation through a competitiveness message leads to a lower perceived ethicality of message than via a control message. Also, the competitiveness message did not significantly affect employees' behavioural intention towards workplace energy conservation. Notably, employees' attitude towards message significantly affected their workplace energy conservation intention.