Frank, Jens
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
This article analyzes people’s subjectively experienced fear in areas with presence of brown bear or wolf. Departing from the Human-Environment Interaction Model (Küller, 1991), a hypothetical model of environmental and individual antecedents of fear was tested using structural equation modeling of survey data (n = 391). In the model of fear of brown bear, the main predictor was the appraisal of the species as dangerous/uncontrollable and unpredictable. In the model of fear of wolf, the greater experience with the species and a stronger appraisal of wolf as dangerous, uncontrol- lable, and unpredictable led to low social trust and this, together with the appraisal of wolf as dangerous/uncontrollable and unpredictable, increased the likelihood of fear. Efforts to reduce human fear of wolves should focus on building trust between the pub- lic and authorities, whereas efforts to reduce fear of brown bear should focus on the individual’s appraisal of the species.
Keywords
subjectively experienced fear; brown bear; wolf; cognitive vulnerability model; social trust; structural equation modeling
Published in
Human Dimensions of Wildlife
2012, volume: 17, number: 1, pages: 58-74
SLU Authors
Associated SLU-program
Wildlife Damage Centre
UKÄ Subject classification
Ecology
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2012.619001
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/52128