A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Link between Modernization, Anthropomorphism and Attitude to Wildlife

<p>Anthropogenic pressure has significantly increased in the last decades, often enhancingconflicts at the human–wildlife interface. Therefore, understanding peoples’ value orientations,attitudes and behavioural intentions towards wildlife is a crucial endeavour to reduce the occurrenceof conflicts between humans and wildlife. Previous research in the USA has shown a consistent linkbetween modernization and increased anthropomorphism (i.e., the tendency to attribute humanmental or physical characteristics to other entities), leading to positive changes in value orientations,attitudes, and behavioural intentions towards wildlife. In this paper, we aimed to addresswhether this link is also present in other cultures, by testing participants (N = 741) in five differentcountries (Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, and Spain). Our study shows that while the positivelink between anthropomorphism, positive attitudes and behavioural intentions towards wildlife isuniversal, the link between modernization and anthropomorphism is culturally mediated. In somecountries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Spain), modernization increased anthropomorphism, while in othersmodernization predicted no differences (Brazil) or even a decrease in anthropomorphism (Mexico),ultimately deteriorating individuals’ attitude and behavioural intentions towards wildlife. Theseresults call for caution when generalizing findings from western industrialized countries to informconservation policies worldwide.</p>