Application of Attitude Theory in Wildlife Management: A Critical Review of Concepts and Processes

Consistency between people's attitudes and their subsequent behaviors is affected by different factors. This chapter reviewed relevant studies of attitudes and knowledge from applied fields of study. The authors focused on how prior relevant knowledge about an attitude object affects consistency between people's attitudes and their behaviors. Attitudes held by people who possess high levels of knowledge of an issue tend to be better predictors of subsequent behaviors than attitudes accompanied by low levels of knowledge. There is evidence that prior knowledge moderates the relationship between attitudes and behaviors by two processes: (1) accessibility and (2) stability, or strength. Implications of knowledge about a hypothetical predator restoration are examined using an information-processing model from social psychology. Understanding the effects of knowledge for information processing is useful to wildlife managers and communications experts who attempt to influence, persuade, and educate public stakeholders.