Using Social and Behavioral Science as a Tool for Biodiversity Conservation Karen Akerlof, PhD | Center for Climate Change Communication | George Mason University Thursday, May 21 st, 2015 | 2015 Ontario Biodiversity Summit, Niagara Falls, Ontario |

Biodiversity Conservation...

Is a People problem.

Change Isn’t Easy

Brook, A., Zint, M., & De Young, R. (2003). Landowners’ responses to an Endangered Species Act listing and implications for encouraging conservation. Conservation Biology, 17(6), 1638–1649. doi: /j x Response to Endangered Species Act: Equal number of respondents had managed their land to minimize mouse habitat as to improve it

Support for conservation and ecotourism in Trinidad, but also preference for hunting/consumption of local species Waylen, K. A., McGowan, P. J. K., & Milner-Gulland, E. J. (2009). Ecotourism positively affects awareness and attitudes but not conservation behaviours: a case study at Grande Riviere, Trinidad. Oryx, 43(03), 343–351.

We need science about People to help solve the problem.

Public policy is about Changing Behavior Finding levers of change through social and behavioral science is a “new” policy tool

PSYCHOLOGY + ECONOMICS = Behavioral Policy Shafir, E. (Ed.). (2013). The behavioral foundations of public policy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

The Gap : Knowledge & Attitudes Frequently Don’t Explain Behavior

A social ecological framework for conservation outcomes based on the “People & Places” model for public health by Maibach and colleagues (2007). ATTRIBUTES OF PEOPLE ATTRIBUTES OF PLACES We Need More Ecological Models for Human Behavior

ECONOMICS Deviations from economic “rational choice” models: 1)bounded rationality 2)bounded self-interest 3)bounded willpower

PSYCHOLOGY Theory of Planned Behavior

4 Questions in designing behavioral change strategies 1. Which behaviors should be changed to improve conservation outcomes? 2. Which factors determine the relevant behavior? 3. What is the most optimal strategy to address those factors? 4. Does the strategy work? (Pilot testing and evaluation) Adapted from McKenzie-Mohr et al., 2011, Steg & Vlek, 2009

1.Which behaviors should be changed to improve conservation outcomes? Looking for:  Low rates of current adoption  High rates of conversion achievable  High impact of behavior Taken from McKenzie-Mohr et al

Attitudes Agency Emotion Social Norms Environmental Context 2. Which factors determine the relevant behavior?

3. What is the most optimal strategy to address those factors? 4. Does the strategy work? (Pilot testing and evaluation) A process map for creating and evaluating evidence-based behavioral change interventions (Aunger & Curtis, 2007).

Information how to reduce water consumption had little effect on usage rates. By adding messages conveying social norms and enabling social comparisons to median county water use the previous year, water consumption reduced by another 4.8%. Ferraro, P. J., & Price, M. K. (2013). Using non-pecuniary strategies to influence behavior: Evidence from a large scale field experiment. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 95(1),

Or contact: Karen Akerlof Report available at climatechangecommunication.org