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Factors governing human fear of brown bear and wolf

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Author

Summary, in English

This article analyzes people's subjectively experienced fear in areas with presence of brown bear or wolf. Departing from the Human-Environment Interaction Model (Küller, R. 1991) a hypothetical model of environmental and individual antecedents of fear was tested using structural equation modeling of survey data (n = 391). In the model of fear of brown bear, the main predictor was the appraisal of the species as dangerous/uncontrollable and unpredictable. In the model of fear of wolf, the greater experience with the species and a stronger appraisal of wolf as dangerous, uncontrollable, and unpredictable led to low social trust and this, together with the appraisal of wolf as dangerous/uncontrollable and unpredictable, increased the likelihood of fear. Efforts to reduce human fear of wolves should focus on building trust between the public and authorities, whereas efforts to reduce fear of brown bear should focus on the individual's appraisal of the species.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

58-74

Publication/Series

Human Dimensions of Wildlife

Volume

17

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Routledge

Topic

  • Building Technologies

Keywords

  • subjectively experienced fear
  • brown bear
  • wolf
  • cognitive vulnerability model
  • social trust
  • structural equation modeling

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1533-158X