Are Conservation Tendencies Influenced by A Species Dietary Behaviour?

Abstract

Background: Pervious research has suggested that knowledge of a species diet can both positively influence conservation attitudes and negatively influence conservation attitudes. However earlier research has not focused of a multiple different type of diets that can influenced and has not looked into whether sex can play a role in attitudes towards species dietary behaviour, due to similarity biases. Aim: Therefore, with a focus on the species of bats, this study will aim to explore whether knowledge of a species dietary behaviour will have an influence over the likelihood of conservation, and whether this will differ between males and females. Method: A mixed design was employed as the design consisted of two between subject independent variables (With or without information and sex) and one within-subject variable (presentation of the five bat species). There were 66 Participants (n=33 in the with-information condition and n=33 in the without information condition) which consisted of 22 males and 44 females. A 0-10 continuous rating scale was created to obtain a rating of the likelihood of saving each of the bat species and a 2 x 2 x 5 Mixed ANOVA was used to analyse the results. Results: There is support for the first hypothesis as there was a significant difference between bats who are frugivorous and bats who are carnivores and there was partial supported for the second hypothesis as both carnivorous diets and piscivorous diets was significantly different when participants had either received knowledge of the diet or imagines, however there was no support for the role of sex. Conclusion: In conclusion it has supported previous research as it has demonstrated that certain diets, such as carnivores and frugivorous, are more influential, whether it decreases the likelihood of conservation (carnivores) or increases the likelihood of conservation (Frugivorous).