Animal-related attitudes and activities in an urban population

Bjerke, Tore; Østdahl, Torbjørn

doi:10.2752/089279304786991783

Cited by 201 publications

(170 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Another possible explanation for gender differences in the interest in birds may be related to preferences for particular animals. While boys prefer less popular animals, such as bats or rats or predators, girls prefer more "cute" animals such as squirrels, rabbits, or small birds (Bjerke & Østdahl, 2004Prokop & Tunnicliffe, 2010). It may be that round heads of "cute" animals with relatively large eyes would be more preferred by females as a result of their preference for baby schema (Lorenz, 1943).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, most invertebrates are viewed with aversion, anxiety, and ignorance (Kellert, 1993). Bjerke and Østdahl (2004) found that people most often like small animals such as birds, squirrels, dogs, and so on, and dislike bats, snails, invertebrates, and rats. Some large animals, such as horses or zoo animals, are also considered attractive.…”

Section: Attitudes Toward Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Interest in Birds and its Relationship with Attitudes and Myths: A Cross-cultural Study in Countries with Different Levels of Economic Development

Hummel

Özel

Medina-Jerez³

et al. 2015

EDUC SCI-THEOR PRACT

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Birds are one of the most important species that can help protect biodiversity. Although birds are important beings for biodiversity and human existence, there is a relatively less quantity of research that has investigated the interest in and attitudes toward birds. This study aims to investigate the knowledge level of and attitudes toward birds among students in countries at different levels of economic development. To collect the data, a Bird Knowledge Questionnaire and a Bird Attitude Questionnaire were developed and used by the researchers in this study. These questionnaires were administered to a total of 852 students from different countries, including Colombia, Germany, Slovakia, and Turkey. The results obtained in this study showed that Colombian students had the highest interest in birds as compared to students in Slovakia, Turkey, and Germany. Girls had consistently higher interest in birds than boys in all countries, but there were no gender differences in the cognitive domain. Our research suggests that factual knowledge about birds is not a necessary prerequisite for interest in birds, but animal-related activities show strong associations with an interest in birds.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Attitudes Toward Birdsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interest in Birds and its Relationship with Attitudes and Myths: A Cross-cultural Study in Countries with Different Levels of Economic Development

Hummel

Özel

Medina-Jerez³

et al. 2015

EDUC SCI-THEOR PRACT

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“…Few studies have examined the effects of acoustic encounters with songbirds on urban inhabitants but there are indications that song by at least some species can increase well-being (Hedblom et al in press). Perhaps this explains why songbirds are among the most appreciated wild life in cities (Bjerke and Østdahl 2004). Sounds in cities are often related to man-made activities that are negatively perceived as noise (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, songbirds were monitored because they can have a great influence on perception of urban sites (Hedblom et al 2014). We also included bumblebees because they are highly conspicous invertebrates that are noticed by the public (Bjerke and Østdahl 2004).…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of biodiversity and environment-related attitude on perception of urban green space

et al. 2016

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Green space in cities contributes to the quality of life for city dwellers, e.g., by increasing the opportunity for recreation. However, perception of urban green space is influenced by multiple factors. We investigated effects of biodiversity and environment-related attitudes on visual and auditory perceptions of urban green space. Field measurements of biodiversity were conducted in six sites across an urban gradient in Gothenburg, Sweden, and three categories of biodiversity-high, medium, low-were established. Households were sent a survey on aesthetic perception of urban green space, sound perception and the importance of trees and plants for the perception of bird species. Each respondent focused on the site that was located nearby. The environment-related attitudes comprised BNature-oriented^and BUrban-oriented^persons and were based on participants' own attitude estimations. It was shown that participants' Bsubjective^aesthetic and sound-related perception of urban greenery were in line with the Bobjectively^measured subdivisions of high, medium and low biodiversity. So also were their estimations of the importance of trees and plants for perception of bird species in urban greenery, although differing only between high and medium/ low biodiversity conditions. Persons rating themselves as highly nature-oriented were shown to give higher scores to urban green space aesthetics and to value greenery-related sounds higher, and to attach greater importance to trees and plants in their perception of bird species in urban greenery, than less nature-oriented persons. Highly urban-oriented persons compared to less urban-oriented persons did the same, but only regarding urban greenery-related aesthetics and sounds of nature. We conclude that environment-related attitudes influence perceptions of green space. Moreover, our findings support the idea that biodiversity per se also influences perceptions; people value green space significantly more with high than with low measured biodiversity. Urban planning needs to provide city inhabitants with green spaces that are species-rich, lush, varied and rich with natural sounds.

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“…His inquiry that included eight local species showed that people's readiness to support the protection of different species groups differs considerably across species [protection efforts of the bald eagle were supported by 89%, the eastern mountain lion by 73%, the Agassiz trout by 71%, the American crocodile by 70%, the silverspot butterfly by 64%, the eastern indigo snake by 43% and the Kauai wolf spider by 34% of responders (Kellert 1988: 57)]. Later, similar results regarding differential attitudes toward various animal species have been gathered in various geographical areas and contexts: in ecotourism (Woods 2000), urban environment (Bjerke, Østdahl 2004), zoological gardens (Myers, Saunders 2004), and educational institutions (Schlegel, Rupf 2010). For attitudes towards nonhuman animals, the similarity of the animal species to humans seems to be a decisive factor (Batt 2009), albeit not the only factor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Semiotic dimensions of human attitudes towards other animals: A case of zoological gardens

Mäekivi

Maran

2016

SSS

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Abstract. This paper analyses the cultural and biosemiotic bases of human attitudes towards other species. A critical stance is taken towards species neutrality and it is shown that human attitudes towards different animal species differ depending on the psychological dispositions of the people, biosemiotic conditions (e.g. umwelt stuctures), cultural connotations and symbolic meanings. In real-life environments, such as zoological gardens, both biosemiotic and cultural aspects influence which animals are chosen for display, as well as the various ways in which they are displayed and interpreted. These semiotic dispositions are further used as motifs in staging, personifying or de-personifying animals in order to modify visitors' perceptions and attitudes. As a case study, the contrasting interpretations of culling a giraffe at the Copenhagen zoo are discussed. The communicative encounters and shifting per ceptions are mapped on the scales of welfaristic, conservational, dominionistic, and utilitarian approaches. The methodological approach described in this article integrates static and dynamical views by proposing to analyse the semiotic potential of animals and the dynamics of communicative interactions in combination.

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Animal-related attitudes and activities in an urban population

Cited by 201 publications

References 30 publications

Interest in Birds and its Relationship with Attitudes and Myths: A Cross-cultural Study in Countries with Different Levels of Economic Development

Interest in Birds and its Relationship with Attitudes and Myths: A Cross-cultural Study in Countries with Different Levels of Economic Development

Effects of biodiversity and environment-related attitude on perception of urban green space

Semiotic dimensions of human attitudes towards other animals: A case of zoological gardens

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