In many areas where people and black bears coexist, negative interactions are increasing in frequency and magnitude. Reducing the risks associated with human-black bear conflict is an important goal for diverse stakeholders. This research evaluated attitude and behavior change associated with an outreach intervention designed to change residential bear-related behavior and reduce conflict. Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasive communication, the New York NeighBEARhood Watch (NYNW) pilot program aimed to change 6 residential human behaviors (i.e., bird feeding, pet feeding, composting, garbage storage, grill storage, hobby farming) and reduce human-black bear conflict.
Four towns in the Catskill black bear range were selected for this research: 1) Warwick; 2) Woodstock; 3) Deerpark; and 4) Saugerties. Using the non-equivalent control group design with pre-and post-test samples, pre-treatment and post-treatment measures were conducted using voluntary mail survey and secondary data. The design was implemented in all four towns. Woodstock and Warwick served as exposure (treatment) towns and Deerpark and Saugerties served as reference (no treatment) towns. Both pre-program and post-program questionnaires were self-administered, mail-back instruments designed to obtain information about respondents' demographic characteristics, risk perceptions, attitudes towards bears, residential bear-related behavior, experiences with bears, and motivation to adopt future behaviors.
The outreach intervention, the New York NeighBEARhood Watch program, was focused on 6 human behaviors: refraining from hanging birdfeeders during warm-weather months; feeding pets indoors not outdoors; storing BBQ grills indoors when not in use; curbing garbage the morning of pick-up and storing it indoors at all other times; keeping home compost contained and secure; and picking up fruit dropped from fruit trees and harvesting fruit from trees before fruit falls. In all, 11,117 materials (billboards, bear-o-meters, brochures, magnets, posters, lawn signs, article reprints, fact sheets) were distributed. Direct associated costs for the NYNW program were approximately $27,000, not including staff/researcher time.
The total pre-program survey response rate was 46.6% (n = 1211) (Woodstock = 61.5%, Warwick = 41.7%, Saugerties = 53.6%, Deerpark = 42.3%); the total post-program survey response rate was 41.1% (n = 950) (Woodstock = 50.5%, Warwick = 39.1%, Saugerties = 37.7%, Deerpark = 39.3%). Respondents' knowledge scores did not change after the NYNW program in treatment (χ2= 9.933, p = 0.270) and reference (χ2= 13.42, p = 0.144) towns. Types of experiences with black bears at or near homes or property decreased for both treatment (χ2= 39.741, p = 0.00) and reference (χ2= 9.670, p = 0.046) town respondents, however there was no difference between groups (χ2= 6.437, p = 0.169). Risk perception increased in both treatment and reference towns after the NYNW program, as did the difference in risk perception measures between treatment and reference towns. Respondents in both treatment and reference towns were less likely to strongly agree that the risks associated with black bears were acceptably low after the NYNW program; the increase was greater in the treatment towns than it was in the reference towns. Of the 6 bear-related human behaviors targeted by the NYNW program, only composting demonstrated clear behavior change between years. The majority (57%) of all (i.e., pooled) post-program respondents saw between 0 and 1 NYNW program materials (μ = 1.61, SD = 1.77). Overall, respondents most frequently reported recalling the lawn sign and the billboard, but judged the fact sheet, brochure, or the article to be most effective at improving their ability to cope with bears.
Demographic characteristics such as age and gender did not influence who adopted the outreach intervention within the context of NYNW program. Experiences involving a potential threat to human or pet health and safety were influential on risk perception whereas just seeing a bear was not. For those who exhibited a change in risk perception, types of direct experiences with bears influenced the shift in risk perception more than information provided by the NYNW program. A willingness to change behavior was a key characteristic of intervention adopters, whereas experience and knowledge were not. This research suggests outreach specialists and
practitioners articulate clearly their outreach intervention goals, tie these goals and implementation plans to a realistic timeframe over which outcomes can be achieved, and consider outreach approaches that provide insight into the experiential dimensions of bearhuman interactions and appeal to the reasons why residents may be willing to change behavior.
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