Understanding Pro-Environmental Behaviors and Intentions in Visitors to a Zoo-Based Seal Encounter

Abstract

Increasing pro-environmental behavior may combat environmental deterioration and promote animal and human welfare. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we investigated how an Australian zoo-based seal encounter influenced participants’ pro-environmental intentions and behavior at 1-month follow-up. Participants were 113 seal encounter visitors, with n = 29 providing 1-month post-encounter data. Pre-encounter, participants reported past and intended pro-environmental behaviors, and TPB constructs (attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective and moral norms). Post-encounter, participants rated their experience and future pro-environmental intentions. At 1-month follow-up, participants again reported their pro-environmental behaviors. The model explained past pro-environmental behaviors and future behavioral intentions (but not plastic use specifically), with subjective norms being the most important. Unlike past research, moral norms were not significant, perhaps due to the zoo-based research context. Importantly, participants reported a decrease in plastic use 1-month post-encounter. These findings provide suggestions for zoos to design encounters targeting subjective norms to promote pro-environmental behavior.

Keywords:

• Plastic use
• pro-environmental behavior
• seal encounter
• theory of planned behavior
• zoos

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brielle E. Blandford

Brielle E. Blandford completed a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours) at UniSC. Her research interests include conservation psychology and sustainable behaviors.

Kate E. Mulgrew

Kate E. Mulgrew is an Associate Professor at UniSC in the School of Health and Behavioral Science. Her research interests are conservation psychology and body image.

Vikki Schaffer

Vikki Schaffer is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism at UniSC in the School of Business and Creative Industries. Her research interests are sustainable tourism, marine-related tourism, citizen science, and immersive visualization.

Lee Kannis-Dymand

Lee Kannis-Dymand is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at UniSC in the School of Health and Behavioral Science. His research interests are conservation psychology, body image, metacognitive processes, and anxiety.