@article{peterson_larson_hipp_beall_lerose_desrochers_lauder_torres_tarr_stukes_et al._2024, title={Birdwatching linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses: A pilot-scale experimental study}, volume={96}, ISSN={["1522-9610"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102306}, abstractNote={Exposure to nature is known to improve human health, but little is known about how one of the most common forms of nature engagement, birdwatching, impacts psychological well-being - especially among campus populations at great risk for experiencing mental health challenges. This study engaged 112 campus participants in a stepped design experiment evaluating the degree to which five >30 minute weekly birdwatching (n = 62) and nature walk (n = 77) exposures impacted self-reported subjective well-being (WHO-5) and psychological distress (STOP-D) levels relative to a control group (n = 81). The directions of all relationships supported hypotheses that nature-based experiences, and birdwatching in particular, would increase well-being and reduce distress. These results build on preliminary evidence of a causal relationship between birdwatching and well-being and highlight the value of considering well-being impacts for specific types of activities in nature, underscoring the need for future research with larger and more diverse samples.}, journal={JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY}, author={Peterson, M. Nils and Larson, Lincoln R. and Hipp, Aaron and Beall, Justin M. and Lerose, Catherine and Desrochers, Hannah and Lauder, Summer and Torres, Sophia and Tarr, Nathan A. and Stukes, Kayla and et al.}, year={2024}, month={Jun} }
 @article{reas_stevenson_gibson_beall_larson_2024, title={Nature or the outdoors? Understanding the power of language in elementary students' self-reported connection to nature}, volume={1}, ISSN={["1469-5871"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2311190}, DOI={10.1080/13504622.2024.2311190}, abstractNote={Many previous studies have measured elementary-aged students' connection to nature (CTN), but few have explicitly considered how the use of different terminology (e.g. 'nature' versus 'the outdoors') can influence those connections. We utilized a quasi-experimental design to test for differences in affective and self-reported connections to nature among diverse groups of fourth and fifth grade students from two elementary schools in Wake County, North Carolina. We used Mann–Whitney U tests to compare these outcomes between two versions of a survey, one using the word 'nature' (n = 112) and one using the word 'outdoors' (n = 113), for (1) the whole sample (n = 225) (2) between boys and girls, and (3) between students of color and white students. Self-reported CTN did not vary significantly based on terminology used, but we did find some differences in levels of emotional affinity that students associated with each term. Our results suggest that the differences in which young audiences perceive the terms 'nature' versus 'outdoors' are nuanced and may offer insight into how language about the environment may invoke different emotions among children.}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH}, author={Reas, Julianne and Stevenson, Kathryn T. and Gibson, Lauren and Beall, Justin and Larson, Lincoln R.}, year={2024}, month={Jan} }
 @article{casola_beall_peterson_larson_price_2022, title={Influence of social media on fear of sharks, perceptions of intentionality associated with shark bites, and shark management preferences}, volume={7}, ISSN={["2297-900X"]}, DOI={10.3389/fcomm.2022.1033347}, abstractNote={Sharks, a critical component of marine ecosystems, represent one of the most threatened taxa globally. Shark conservation efforts are constrained by public fear and misperceptions. Positive social media-based outreach may provide one cost effective means to reduce fear of sharks and change misperceptions about shark bite intentionality. Using framing theory, which suggests that the ways in which information is presented influences how it is processed and the changes in perceptions that result from it, we experimentally evaluated impacts of positively and negatively framed YouTube videos on fear of sharks and perceptions of shark bite intentionality among participants from the coastal state of North Carolina (NC), USA in Spring 2020. Respondents took a pre-test, followed by a randomly assigned positive or negative video treatment consisting of ~15 min of shark week videos. Pre/post-test comparisons suggest positive YouTube content decreased fright by 24%, perceived danger by 27%, and perception of shark bite intentionality by 29%, whereas negatively framed media did the opposite. Positively framed media resulted in fewer respondents blaming shark bites on sharks, and resulted in more respondents blaming swimmers or no one. Positively framed media decreased support for lethal responses to shark bites, such as shark nets, hunting down sharks that bite people, and drum lines. The positive treatment increased support for responding with research, leaving the shark alone, and education. Negatively framed media decreased support for responding by leaving the shark alone or doing nothing and increased support for some lethal responses to shark bites (i.e., drum lines and hunting down sharks). When positive and negative treatments had different effect sizes, the positive treatments tended to be more impactful. Collectively these results suggest social media may be a valuable tool for leveraging the power of communication to promote shark conservation.}, journal={FRONTIERS IN COMMUNICATION}, author={Casola, William R. and Beall, Justin M. and Peterson, M. Nils and Larson, Lincoln R. and Price, Carol S.}, year={2022}, month={Oct} }
 @article{casola_beall_nils peterson_larson_brent jackson_stevenson_2022, title={Political polarization of conservation issues in the era of COVID-19: An examination of partisan perspectives and priorities in the United States}, volume={67}, ISSN={1617-1381}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126176}, DOI={10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126176}, abstractNote={As a zoonotic disease with unprecedented global impacts, COVID-19 may influence how people prioritize issues related to wildlife conservation. Using a nationally representative sample of US residents, we investigated: (1) how COVID-19 affected the relative importance of conservation issues among adults with different political ideologies, and (2) how the pandemic affected political polarization of conservation issues during the 2020 general election in the United States. Conservation issues such as endangered species and controlling zoonotic disease ranked low in importance among the 14 policy issues considered, even lower than environmental issues such as climate change and environmental protection; however, the importance of all conservation issues increased as a result of COVID-19. Political polarization surrounding the perceived importance of conservation issues also increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Democrats reporting larger increases in importance than Republicans. Polarization was driven by the most conservative Republicans and the most liberal Democrats. But this polarization was less extreme than it was for other issues such as climate change and healthcare. Findings highlight the need for communicating links between zoonotic disease and human interactions with wildlife and the environment. Acting quickly may be critical in areas where conservation issues are primed to succumb to political polarization.}, journal={Journal for Nature Conservation}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Casola, William R. and Beall, Justin M. and Nils Peterson, M. and Larson, Lincoln R. and Brent Jackson, S. and Stevenson, Kathryn T.}, year={2022}, month={Jun}, pages={126176} }
 @article{beall_jackson_casola_peterson_larson_stevenson_seekamp_2022, title={Self-reported participation in outdoor and nature-based recreation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic supports psychological health and well-being}, volume={3}, ISSN={2666-5581}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2022.100094}, DOI={10.1016/j.wss.2022.100094}, abstractNote={Restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered daily lives and affected human health and well-being. Outdoor and nature-based activities could potentially mitigate some of these negative impacts. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor recreation and subjective well-being, we combined two samples of U.S. adults collected from April 30th - June 15th, 2020 and from August 7th - August 26th, 2020 (total n = 2178) using Qualtrics XM. During the pandemic, participation in outdoor activities declined by 35%, participation in nature-based activities declined by 33%, and subjective well-being declined by 24%. Participation in outdoor activities and nature activities prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic predicted smaller declines in subjective well-being. Results highlight the importance of outdoor recreation for building resilience to changes in subjective well-being before and during global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.}, journal={Wellbeing, Space and Society}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Beall, Justin M. and Jackson, S. Brent and Casola, William R. and Peterson, M. Nils and Larson, Lincoln R. and Stevenson, Kathryn T. and Seekamp, Erin}, year={2022}, pages={100094} }
 @article{beall_pharr_von furstenberg_barber_casola_vaughn_peterson_larson_2022, title={The influence of YouTube videos on human tolerance of sharks}, volume={26}, ISSN={1367-9430 1469-1795}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acv.12808}, DOI={10.1111/acv.12808}, abstractNote={AbstractSharks are often depicted in the media as violent killers that actively seek out opportunities to harm humans. This framing may impact human tolerance and support of shark conservation, underscoring the need to identify strategies that counteract these negative representations. Social media, given its widespread use, could be an effective platform for shaping public tolerance for sharks and other wildlife species. In this experimental study, we conducted an online pre‐post survey in Spring 2020 to determine how viewing shark‐related YouTube videos impacted tolerance for sharks among residents (n = 335) in the coastal state of North Carolina (NC), USA and neighboring states. The study employed framing theory, which suggests that the ways in which information is presented influence how it is processed and the actions that result from it. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two video treatments where sharks were framed positively or negatively. Each video treatment impacted tolerance for sharks in the direction of their framing: positive framing influenced positive changes in tolerance (70% more positive attitudes toward sharks, a 130% increase in acceptance of sharks and a 46% increase in intended shark conservation behaviors), and negative framing influenced negative changes (25% more negative attitudes toward sharks, a 18% decrease in acceptance of sharks and a 3% decrease in intended shark conservation behaviors). These findings suggest positive messages about sharks on social media promote tolerance of sharks and can be more impactful than negative messages. At least one form of social media, YouTube, appears to be a valuable tool for encouraging tolerance for sharks.}, number={2}, journal={Animal Conservation}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Beall, J. M. and Pharr, L. D. and von Furstenberg, R. and Barber, A. and Casola, W. R. and Vaughn, A. and Peterson, M. N. and Larson, L. R.}, year={2022}, month={Jul}, pages={154–164} }
 @article{beall_boley_2022, title={An ecotourist by whose standards? Developing and testing the Ecotourist Identification Scale (EIS)}, volume={21}, ISSN={["1747-7638"]}, DOI={10.1080/14724049.2021.1919126}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Despite numerous attempts at operationalising ecotourism, none have explicitly incorporated the three tenets of ecotourism (i.e. nature, education, and sustainability) into scale development with the purpose of identifying ecotourists from non-ecotourists. Therefore, we used a combination of Churchill and Rossiter’s scale development frameworks to create the Ecotourist Identification Scale (EIS) as a tool for identifying ecotourists based on these three criteria. We split a sample of 786 U.S. travellers in half to perform a Principal Components Analysis for scale purification on one half followed by a Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the other. Results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated strong construct reliability for each component of the EIS based on factor loadings above 0.50, reliability coefficients exceeding 0.70, and Average Variance Explained above 50%. Furthermore, we employed Structural Equation Modeling to explore which aspects of ecotourism’s three tenets influence intention to engage in ecotourism by testing the relationship between EIS scale components and ecotourism intention. Results indicate interest in nature and environmental sustainability are significantly related to ecotourism intention while interest in education, socio-cultural sustainability, and economic sustainability are not, indicating discrepancies between the academic definition of ecotourism and the factors driving tourists to engage in ecotourism.}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF ECOTOURISM}, author={Beall, Justin and Boley, B. Bynum}, year={2022}, month={Apr}, pages={99–120} }
 @article{beall_casola_peterson_larson_carr_seekamp_stevenson_jackson_2021, title={Cultural Cognition and Ideological Framing Influence Communication About Zoonotic Disease in the Era of COVID-19}, volume={6}, ISSN={2297-900X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.645692}, DOI={10.3389/fcomm.2021.645692}, abstractNote={The efficacy of science communication can be influenced by the cultural values and cognitions of target audiences, yet message framing rarely accounts for these cognitive factors. To explore the effects of message framing tailored to specific audiences, we investigated relationships between one form of cultural cognition—political ideology—and perceptions about the zoonotic origins of the COVID-19 pandemic using a nationally representative Qualtrics XM panel (n = 1,554) during August 2020. First, we examined differences in attitudes towards science (in general) and COVID-19 (specifically) based on political ideology. We found that, compared to conservatives and moderates, liberals trusted science more, were less skeptical of science, perceived greater risk from COVID-19, were more likely to believe in a wildlife origin of COVID-19, and were more likely to support restrictions on wildlife trade. Second, we examined the influence of cultural framing on the perceived validity of science related to COVID-19. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: 1) a technocratic framing that highlighted feats of human ingenuity to overcome zoonoses; 2) a regulatory framing that highlighted regulations and expansions of protected areas for wildlife as a means to prevent zoonoses, and 3) a control article about traffic lights with no cultural framing. After reading the initial framing article, all three groups read the same fictional, yet factually accurate, ‘Nature Science study’ generated by the authors. An OLS regression model revealed a significant interaction between the technocratic framing and political ideology. Relative to the control group, the technocratic framing slightly increased perceived validity of the Nature Science study for conservatives, significantly lowered perceived validity for liberals, and had no impact on moderates. We did not detect any significant interaction between framing and political ideology for the regulatory framing. Findings of this study highlight the need to account for cultural cognitions when communicating about COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases. Communication strategies carefully designed to resonate with ideologically diverse audiences may ultimately lead to bipartisan support for actions required to promote “One Health” approaches that reduce the impacts of zoonoses on human and environmental health.}, journal={Frontiers in Communication}, publisher={Frontiers Media SA}, author={Beall, Justin M. and Casola, William R. and Peterson, M Nils. and Larson, Lincoln R. and Carr, Wylie A. and Seekamp, Erin and Stevenson, Kathryn T. and Jackson, S Brent}, year={2021}, month={May} }
 @article{beall_boley_landon_woosnam_2021, title={What drives ecotourism: environmental values or symbolic conspicuous consumption?}, volume={29}, ISSN={["1747-7646"]}, DOI={10.1080/09669582.2020.1825458}, abstractNote={Abstract Despite an influx of ecotourism research since the term was first coined, it is still not entirely clear why tourists choose ecotourism over other tourism experiences. While most of the previous literature assumes that ecotourism is preferred by travelers for moral reasons, emerging evidence suggests that opportunities to project one’s social status are increasingly salient factors in decision-making about travel. This article compares the relative influence of two possible predictors of ecotourism intention: environmental values (measured through the value-belief-norm theory) and symbolic conspicuous consumption (measured through expected social return). Respondents were drawn from a panel of U.S. tourists who had taken an overnight trip within the last year (n = 786). Results of a structural equation model suggest that both personal norms (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and social return (β = 0.60, p < 0.001) explain a considerable amount of variance in ecotourism intention (R2  = 0.44), with social return having the stronger influence. These results suggest that environmental values are not the sole reason for travelers’ choice of ecotourism alternatives, and that ego-enforcing motives play an important role. The positive and negative implications of demand for ecotourism extending beyond those with strong environmental values are discussed.}, number={8}, journal={JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM}, author={Beall, Justin M. and Boley, B. Bynum and Landon, Adam C. and Woosnam, Kyle M.}, year={2021}, month={Aug}, pages={1215–1234} }