Elissa L. Pearson

Harnessing visual media in environmental education: increasing knowledge of orangutan conservation issues and facilitating sustainable behaviour through video presentations

Many animals are currently facing extinction. Conservation education which highlights the impacts of our behaviour on other species survival is crucial. This study provides evidence for the use of visual media to increase knowledge, attitudes and conservation behaviours regarding the highly endangered orangutan. University students (n = 126) were shown two styles of educational presentation (knowledge-based, emotive), representative of material widely available through the internet. Participants were randomly assigned to groups, with presentation order counterbalanced. A repeated measures between groups ANCOVA revealed significant increases in knowledge about orangutans over time (p < 0.001), with a significant main effect of group condition (p < 0.001). An interaction between time and condition was also observed (p < 0.001). For participant attitudes toward orangutans, only a significant main effect of time was detected (p = 0.001). Regardless of presentation order, maximum increases occurred with the cumulative effect of both presentations. Behavioural data suggests knowledge and attitude changes translated into actual, at least short term, behaviour change, with 84.8% of participants who returned a behaviour diary (36.5% return rate) reporting changing their behaviour in the week following the study. The potential wide-ranging application of such forms of media to spread environmental messages and foster more sustainable behaviour is discussed.

Measuring zoo visitor learning and understanding about orangutans: evaluation to enhance learning outcomes and to foster conservation action

Despite the endangered status of the orangutan, very little research has sought to understand what people know about this species or the conservation challenges they face. As zoos are well placed to influence such understandings, the present study sought to explore knowledge following a visit to orangutan exhibits at three Australian zoos (N = 240). Two learning assessments were utilised, capturing (1) self-reported learning and (2) understandings in relation to the information zoos prioritise for inclusion on exhibit signage. The relationship between the latter, attitudes toward orangutans and intentions for future conservation behaviour were also explored. Higher knowledge scores were significantly (indirectly) associated with intentions for future conservation behaviour through higher attitudes (indirect effect = 0.15, std. error = .05, z = 3.12, p < .01). In turn, the zoo visited, satisfaction with orangutan activity levels, having visited orangutan natural habitat, a zoo visit in the previous 12-months, and older age were all associated with higher knowledge scores (model R2 = 20.3). The importance of enhancing visitor understandings (e.g. through improved exhibit design and signage displays, and through encouraging repeat zoo visits) for conservation action is discussed.

Can Positive Social Exchanges Buffer the Detrimental Effects of Negative Social Exchanges? Age and Gender Differences

Background: Findings from existing research exploring whether positive social exchanges can help to offset (or ‘buffer’ against) the harmful effects of negative social exchanges on mental health have been inconsistent. This could be because the existing research is characterized by different approaches to studying various contexts of ‘cross-domain’ and ‘within-domain’ buffering, and/or because the nature of buffering effects varies according to sociodemographic characteristics that underlie different aspects of social network structure and function. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the buffering effects of global perceptions of positive exchanges on the link between global negative exchanges and mental health varied as a function of age and gender. Method: We used a series of regressions in a sample of 556 Australian older adults (ages 55–94) to test for three-way interactions among gender, positive social exchanges, and negative social exchanges, as well as age and positive and negative social exchanges, in predicting mental health, controlling for years of education, partner status, and physical functioning. Results: We found that positive exchanges buffered against negative exchanges for younger old adults, but not for older old adults, and for women, but not for men. Conclusions: Our findings are interpreted in light of research on individual differences in coping responses and interpersonal goals among late middle-aged and older adults. Our findings are in line with gerontological theories (e.g. socioemotional selectivity theory), and imply that an intervention aimed at using positive social exchanges as a means of coping with negative social exchanges might be more successful among particular populations (i.e. women, ‘younger’ old adults).

Positive and negative social exchanges and cognitive aging in young-old adults: differential associations across family, friend, and spouse domains.

We examined how positive and negative social exchanges with friends, family, and spouses were related to cognitive aging in episodic and working memory, and perceptual speed. To do so, we used a large sample of cognitively intact young-old participants from the PATH Through Life Study (PATH; aged 60 to 64 years at baseline, n = 1,618) who were assessed on 3 occasions over 8 years. Additional replication analyses were conducted using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which provided data on episodic memory. The main analysis of PATH Through Life showed that positive exchanges with friends and family were associated with less decline in perceptual speed, with these associations attenuated by adjustment for physical functioning and depressive symptoms. Negative exchanges with spouses were associated with poorer working memory performance. Positive exchanges with friends were associated with better initial episodic memory in both PATH and HRS. More frequent negative exchanges with friends and family were associated with better episodic memory in the PATH sample. However, these findings were not replicated in HRS. Our findings provide indirect support for the role of social exchange quality in contributing to cognitive enrichment. However, the inconsistent pattern of results across cognitive and social exchange domains points to possibilities of reverse causality, and may also indicate that social exchange quality plays a less important role for cognitive enrichment than other psychosocial characteristics.

A Case Study of Orangutan and Siamang Behavior Within a Mixed-Species Zoo Exhibit

This empirical case study assessed the behavior and welfare of 2 orangutans (Pongo abelii) and 2 siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus) within a mixed-species zoo exhibit. The study used instantaneous scan-sampling to record behavior, location, and interspecies proximity over 174 hr and all-occurrences data for any interactions between species. Results revealed frequent affiliative interactions between the female orangutan and siamang pair and an absence of agonistic or aggressive encounters. All individuals used the majority of the exhibit without segregation by species. Both orangutans spent most of their time on the ground (above 70% of all scans), and low levels of foraging were identified (1–4% of scans for all individuals). Overall, the findings support the notion that mixed-species exhibits may be enriching to the species involved through increased stimulation and opportunities for interaction. A poststudy incident also highlights the need for careful and continual monitoring of mixed-species exhibits over time.

Research methods and reporting practices in zoo and aquarium conservation-education evaluation: Zoo and Aquarium Education

Zoos and aquariums are increasingly incorporating conservation education into their mission statements and visitor experiences to address global biodiversity loss. To advance knowledge and practice in the field, research is being conducted to evaluate the effect of zoo conservation-education experiences on visitor psychosocial outcomes (e.g., knowledge, attitude, emotions, motivations, behavior). Following recent discussions among scholars and practitioners concerning logistical and methodological challenges that likely undermine the conclusions of such research, we identified and reviewed the methods and reporting practices in peer-reviewed articles published in English from May 1998 to June 2016 that focused on adult visitor samples (47 articles, 48 studies). We examined elements of internal, external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity. Methodological quality of quantitative methods and reporting practices was determined using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Each study was coded as either strong (no weak ratings), moderate (1 weak rating), or weak (≥2 weak ratings). The quantitative methods of 83.3% of studies were weak. The remaining 16.7% had methods of moderate quality. Using an existing checklist, we also assessed the quality and rigor of qualitative methods and reporting practices and found that some aspects of these methods were reported more comprehensively than others. For example, 69.6% of articles discussed methods for identifying key themes from the data, whereas only 34.8% reported how data verification was performed. We suggest increased application of intensive longitudinal methods (e.g., daily diary) to strengthen self-reported data, experimental and repeated-measures designs, and mixed-methods approaches. Our findings and recommendations could strengthen and guide the research and evaluation agenda for the field and ultimately enhance the contribution zoos make to global biodiversity conservation.

Humans and Sharks

There is worldwide concern regarding the conservation status of sharks. Public perceptions of sharks, often based on inaccurate negative stereotypes transmitted through the media and popular culture, appear to be limiting support for their conservation. Yet, there is a paucity of research exploring the knowledge and attitudes of the general public regarding sharks and their conservation, as well as approaches to improve these factors and encourage greater conservation support. The primary aim of this review is to explore the role that psychology, education, and the media might play in engendering greater support for shark conservation through increasing knowledge and shifting attitudes relating to sharks, ultimately increasing public support for, and participation in, shark conservation. Directions for future research to further understand and enhance public engagement with shark conservation issues are also discussed.