Modeling perceived risk from coyotes among Chicago residents
type: CreativeWork
description: Coyote management in urban areas has become a concern for wildlife professionals. In the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Region (GCMR) wildlife professionals have received an increased number of complaints from residents. Based on cultural theory and cognitive hierarchy theory, we hypothesized that (a) individuals with mutualistic wildlife value orientations are more likely to have positive beliefs about coyotes than negative beliefs; (b) individuals with deterministic wildlife value orientations are more likely to have negative beliefs rather than positive beliefs about coyotes; (c) people having negative beliefs about coyotes perceive higher risk from coyotes than do people having positive beliefs about coyotes; (d) beliefs about coyotes mediate the relationship between wildlife value orientations and perceived risks from coyotes. Data were obtained from a mailed survey of GCMR residents during 2012 (n = 1,624). Wildlife value orientations were measured using two sets of basic beliefs (i.e., mutualism, domination). The mutualism index included five variables (e.g., Wildlife should have the same rights as humans). The domination index was measured with four items (e.g., The needs of human should take priority over wildlife protection). Beliefs about coyotes were measured using two indices. The first index included four positive statements about coyotes (e.g., I enjoy seeing coyotes in my community). The second scale included three negative beliefs about coyotes (e.g., I feel coyotes are a nuisance). Perceived risk was measured with four variables (e.g., safety of pets). A confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the data fit the model (RMSEA = .06, CFI = .98, NFI = .97, chi-square/df = 7.63). A direct effect Structured Equation Model (SEM) indicated that both mutualism and domination wildlife value orientations influenced perceived risk. When the positive and negative belief indices were included in the SEM, however, neither value orientation was significant. These…
abstract: Coyote management in urban areas has become a concern for wildlife professionals. In the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Region (GCMR) wildlife professionals have received an increased number of complaints from residents. Based on cultural theory and cognitive hierarchy theory, we hypothesized that (a) individuals with mutualistic wildlife value orientations are more likely to have positive beliefs about coyotes than negative beliefs; (b) individuals with deterministic wildlife value orientations are more likely to have negative beliefs rather than positive beliefs about coyotes; (c) people having negative beliefs about coyotes perceive higher risk from coyotes than do people having positive beliefs about coyotes; (d) beliefs about coyotes mediate the relationship between wildlife value orientations and perceived risks from coyotes. Data were obtained from a mailed survey of GCMR residents during 2012 (n = 1,624). Wildlife value orientations were measured using two sets of basic beliefs (i.e., mutualism, domination). The mutualism index included five variables (e.g., Wildlife should have the same rights as humans). The domination index was measured with four items (e.g., The needs of human should take priority over wildlife protection). Beliefs about coyotes were measured using two indices. The first index included four positive statements about coyotes (e.g., I enjoy seeing coyotes in my community). The second scale included three negative beliefs about coyotes (e.g., I feel coyotes are a nuisance). Perceived risk was measured with four variables (e.g., safety of pets). A confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the data fit the model (RMSEA = .06, CFI = .98, NFI = .97, chi-square/df = 7.63). A direct effect Structured Equation Model (SEM) indicated that both mutualism and domination wildlife value orientations influenced perceived risk. When the positive and negative belief indices were included in the SEM, however, neither value orientation was significant. These…
author: Spacapan, Molly
language: en
keywords: urban wildlife, coyotes, perceived risks, Chicago, human-wildlife conflicts
date published: 2013-05-24T21:52:55Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:25:33Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44158