Co-existing with wildlife: A meta-review of factors influencing citizen’s attitudes towards urban wildlife

Abstract

Urban environments are increasingly becoming potential living environments for a variety of wildlife species. With the growing urbanization all over the world, it is especially relevant to gain knowledge of how co-existing with urban wildlife can be promoted. This meta-review aimed to give an overview of empirical evidence of factors influencing attitudes and behaviour in human-wildlife interactions in urban settings through a social psychological viewpoint. Through a systematic literature research, 24 articles have been identified for analysis. Findings indicate that research is mostly focused on social-demographic variables when explaining attitudes. It is suggested that future research should step away from simply measuring attitudes and the influence of socio-demographic variables on perceptions, by focusing on how these attitudes are formed and which variables are truly of relevance to explaining attitudes and human behaviour. Using social psychological frameworks can give interesting insights into the antecedents of human behaviour and should be applied more often. A framework is provided as a starting point for future research and as a basis for designing effective wildlife management strategies.