Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2014

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Primate Behavior

Committee Chair

Marte Fallshore

Second Committee Member

Mathew Altman

Third Committee Member

Lori Sheeran

Abstract

Environmental organizations have long used charismatic megafauna - popular large animals - as strategic figureheads to summon support for conservation actions. While the animals chosen as flagship species usually have anthropomorphic features, such as large body size and forward-facing eyes, there is no commonly accepted explanation for why these similarities influence people's willingness to help these species. In this study, empathy was found to be predictive of perceived need and willingness to help in a conservation scenario. While framing a threatened ecosystem as the habitat of an unspecified animal species with cultural characteristics increased reports of situational empathy, perceived need was significantly decreased when the species with cultural characteristics was identified as a primate. This high-similarity condition may have unconsciously primed thoughts of human animality, which may evoke distancing mechanisms that cause people to disidentify with and negatively evaluate nonhuman animals.

Comments

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