Journal Article

A scoping review into the impact of animal imagery on pro-environmental outcomes

Veríssimo, Diogo, Thomas-Walters, Laura, McNulty, Claire

2020

Overview

With the recognition that most global environmental problems are a result of human actions, there is an increasing interest in approaches which have the potential to influence human behaviour. Images have a powerful role in shaping persuasive messages, yet research on the impacts of visual representations of nature is a neglected area in biodiversity conservation. We systematically screened existing studies on the use of animal imagery in conservation, identifying 37 articles. Although there is clear evidence that images of animals can have positive effects on people’s attitudes to animals, overall there is currently a dearth of accessible and comparable published data demonstrating the efficacy of animal imagery. Most existing studies are place and context-specific, limiting the generalisable conclusions that can be drawn. Transdisciplinary research is needed to develop a robust understanding of the contextual and cultural factors that affect how animal images can be used effectively for conservation purposes.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Animals / anthropogenic activities / Atmospheric Sciences / Attitude / Attitudes / attitudes and opinions / Behavior / Biodiversity / biodiversity conservation / Conservation / Conservation of Natural Resources / Cultural factors / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecology / Efficacy / Environment / Environmental degradation / Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology / Environmental impact / Environmental Management / Environmentalism / Human Activities / human behavior / Humans / image analysis / Imagery / Influence / Interdisciplinary research / Physical Geography / Review / Wildlife conservation