Reducing Anthropogenic Food Sources: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior and Audience Analysis

Abstract

Wildlife access to anthropogenic food sources like trash, bird seed, and fruit from trees can induce conflicts between humans and wildlife ranging from habituation and nuisance behavior to rare but serious attacks. I used an online survey (n = 349) to test an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model and identified predictors of behavioral intention to remove anthropogenic food sources. The comprehensive model includes the original TPB variables of perceived behavioral control (PBC), social norms, and attitudes, and adds collective efficacy, response efficacy, group orientation, and risk perception. In addition to direct effects, I tested attitude as a potential mediator of the risk perception-intention and response efficacy-intention relationship and the moderating effects of PBC on both the attitude-intention and social norm-intention relationships and group orientation on the social norm-intention and collective efficacy-intention relationships. To better understand meaningful attributes of message dissemination, the current study identified participant perception of important sources and channels. I found that attitude, perceived behavioral control, response efficacy, collective efficacy, and group orientation are positive predictors of behavioral intention to remove anthropogenic food sources. Additionally, I found a partial mediation effect of attitude on the response efficacy-intention relationship. I did not find support for the proposed interaction effects or the indirect effect of attitude on the risk perception-intention relationship. State wildlife agencies were a higher rated source for information about wildlife on average, with agency websites and printed materials rated as higher channels on average by participants.