New Implications for Wildlife Loss Evaluation: The Role of Subjective Predictors

The quantification and evaluation of environmental losses has been a topic of interest for several years. Research has focused on cause of loss as a primary factor influencing loss assessment, but has neglected less objective influences. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three different conditions of cause of the wildlife loss (human, natural, ambiguous) with type of animal (mammal, bird, fish) and proximity of animal (local, international) also manipulated. Participants rated the value of each loss to themselves and society as a whole. They also rated three subjective predictors: similarity of the animal, familiarity with the animal, and ability to relate to the animal. Both subjective and objective factors affected loss assessment with cause of loss not being influential at the individual or societal level of assessment. Similarity, familiarity, and ability to relate were all significant predictors of value in at least some combinations of animal species and proximity.