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

• Frank, Jens

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

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