Lea M. Scherl

Self in wilderness: Understanding the psychological benefits of individual‐wilderness interaction through self‐control

Abstract In Australia people are increasingly spending more leisure time in wilderness settings and are willing to participate in guided wilderness adventures. It has been suggested that the wilderness environment is therapeutic, and psychological studies have attempted to demonstrate that meaningful changes take place within the individual as a consequence of being in that setting. Conceptual frameworks for understanding better why and how wilderness promotes psychological well being are scarce, however. This report provides a conceptual consideration of individual‐wilderness interactions that looks closely at the notion of perceived control. It is suggested that an alternative concept, self‐control, better characterizes individual‐wilderness relationships. Moreover, it is argued that the opportunity in wilderness for individuals to exert self‐control is psychologically rewarding. Properties of the wilderness setting that can facilitate self‐control are also discussed.

A new dimension to content analysis: Exploring relationships among thematic categories

Conventional content analysis uses “hard-edged” categories for coding qualitative data (e.g., content themes), and this practice not only loses valuable information but also restricts the ways in which such data may be analyzed. This paper presents a procedure based on fuzzy set theory which extends content analysis by permitting the researcher to use fuzzy, or “blurred” categories for coding. These categories are allowed to overlap one another, thereby enabling the researcher to investigate overlap and inclusion relationships among thematic categories. The technique is briefly explained, and the bulk of the paper is devoted to a demonstration of its use in an applied research context. The final section discusses some extensions of this technique and its applications in exploratory data analysis.

Clear and unambiguous feedback: A transactional and motivational analysis of environmental challenge and self-encounter

Abstract This paper argues that a transactional and motivational common denominator underlying a variety of heretofore unsatisfactorily explained behaviors (e.g., running, mountain climbing, endurance activities, wilderness trekking) relates to the nature and quality of response-generated information received from ones external and internal environment while engaged in such activities. This view constitutes a theoretical synthesis of notions such as knowledge of results, competence motivation, sensation-seeking, flow, and intrinsic motivation. The argument is made that the nature of environmental transactions taking place during such experiences is qualitatively different from more routine individual-setting interactions in that sustained physical and/or sensory involvement generates feedback which is concrete, clear, and inherently reinforcing, in contrast to the ‘automatic responding’ which takes place in settings where feedback is non-novel and blurred. It is argued that particular environments and certain activities can facilitate such clear and meaningful feedback. The implications of this alternative conceptualization of the motivational and leisure activity literature are discussed with respect to the potential benefits of structured experience programs in wilderness settings.

Constructions of a wilderness experience: Using the repertory grid technique in the natural setting

Abstract The experience of being in a wilderness setting is often claimed to be psychologically beneficial to individuals. This conclusion is drawn primarily from studies adopting a pre-post experience test design aimed at quantifying changes within the individual, Central concepts used to describe change are largely related to the “self”, for example, self-concept, self-esteem, self-satisfaction, self-awareness. Notwithstanding the heavy focus on “self” as a research variable, most studies ironically ignore detailed consideration of the individuals affective states, perceptions and cognitions associated with wilderness experiences, that is, a more descriptive stage to research. This study is set within a broader social phenomenological framework. It seeks understanding about the wilderness experience itself from the perspective of the individuals experiencing it, in a particular situational context. The paper discusses the value of using the repertory grid technique for empirically establishing the majo...

Advances in monitoring the human dimension of natural resource systems: an example from the Great Barrier Reef

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility and potential utility of decision-centric social-economic monitoring using data collected from Great Barrier Reef (Reef) region. The social and economic long term monitoring program (SELTMP) for the Reef is a novel attempt to monitor the social and economic dimensions of social-ecological change in a globally and nationally important region. It represents the current status and condition of the major user groups of the Reef with the potential to simultaneously consider trends, interconnections, conflicts, dependencies and vulnerabilities. Our approach was to combine a well-established conceptual framework with a strong governance structure and partnership arrangement that enabled the co-production of knowledge. The framework is a modification of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and it was used to guide indicator choice. Indicators were categorised as; (i) resource use and dependency, (ii) ecosystem benefits and well-being, and (iii) drivers of change. Data were collected through secondary datasets where existing and new datasets were created where not, using standard survey techniques. Here we present an overview of baseline results of new survey data from commercial-fishers (n = 210), marine-based tourism operators (n = 119), tourists (n = 2877), local residents (n = 3181), and other Australians (n = 2002). The indicators chosen describe both social and economic components of the Reef system and represent an unprecedented insight into the ways in which people currently use and depend on the Reef, the benefits that they derive, and how they perceive, value and relate to the Reef and each other. However, the success of a program such as the SELTMP can only occur with well-translated cutting-edge data and knowledge that are collaboratively produced, adaptive, and directly feeds into current management processes. We discuss how data from the SELTMP have already been incorporated into Reef management decision-making through substantial inclusion in three key policy documents.

The role of marine protected areas in alleviating poverty in the Asia-Pacific

[Extract] Small-scale fishers in developing countries depend heavily on near-shore marine fish capture (Pauly 2006, SOFIA 2008). Yet marine fisheries in many developing countries are underregulated and overfished (Agnew et al. 2009, Le Gallic and Cox 2006, Varkey et al. 2009). Global marine capture fish production peaked in the mid-1980s, and one in three marine fisheries are now considered overfished (SOFIA 2008, Worm et al. 2009). The overlapping issues of local livelihoods and fisheries management are particularly apparent in coastal coral reefs.

Structural factors influencing conservation decision-making: a case of species prioritisation in Australia

Prioritisation methods have been adopted for >20 years to inform resource allocation in species conservation. The academic literature on prioritisation focuses on technical matters, with little attention to the socio-political factors affecting the uptake of priorities. We investigated the policy instruments employed to promote uptake, and the structural factors affecting the uptake of priorities, using as our case study a species prioritisation method adopted by the Queensland Government (Australia). We interviewed 79 key informants and analysed policy documents and plans. The Queensland Government relied on ‘information delivery’ as a policy instrument to foster uptake. We identified communication channels to assist ‘information delivery’ between Government and intended users, but also found that several structural factors limited their use: fragmentation of policies, the relative strength of alternative priorities and centralisation of power in decision-making. We discuss the results in relation to other conservation planning initiatives and suggest how structural barriers can be addressed.