Public Support for Biodiversity After a Zoo Visit: Environmental Concern, Conservation Knowledge, and Self-Efficacy

• Published in: Curator (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 60; no. 1; p. 87
• Main Authors: Clayton, Susan, Prevot, Anne-Caroline, Germain, Laurent, Saint-Jalme, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Zoos
• ISSN: 0011-3069; 2151-6952
• DOI: 10.1111/cura.12188

The biodiversity crisis is not salient to many people. A zoo visit not only provides the opportunity to learn about the issue, but also provides direct experiences with animals that may increase public engagement. The present study used a nonequivalent pretest-posttest design to assess the impact of a zoo visit on conservation knowledge and engagement by comparing 88 visitors entering a zoo in Paris and 84 visitors on their way out. Those who had completed their visit scored higher on conservation knowledge, general concern about threats to biodiversity, and perceived self-efficacy to protect biodiversity. Notably, conservation knowledge was not highly correlated with the other dependent variables, but self-efficacy was significantly correlated with environmental concern, behaviour, and behavioural intent. We conclude that a zoo visit does have a positive impact on knowledge and concern, and by affecting self-efficacy, it has the potential to influence future behavior.