Communicating complex environmental issues to the public requires careful consideration of not only the facts, but also of the framing of the message. How a message is framed can influence the attitudes and behaviors of those receiving the message. Environmental concern (EC)—a powerful construct related to pro-environmental behavior—might offer insight into how one might frame environmental messages in ways that are motivating and relevant. In a previous study, Schultz (2001) identified three types of EC: egoistic (concern for self ), social-altruistic (concern for other humans), and biospheric (concern for all living beings). Previous work suggests that Americans generally prefer egoistically framed messages. This study examines the use of EC as a frame for communicating environmental issues in an attempt to deepen our understanding of the connections between EC, messaging, and environmentally responsible behavior. The researchers studied zoo visitors to address the question, “What preferences do individuals have for messages framed by environmental concern?”
The study took place with visitors at two city zoos in Ohio. Data collection occurred at Zoo One over the course of a weekend in August 2009. Throughout the day, researchers positioned themselves in multiple locations throughout the zoo and asked visitors whether they would be willing to complete a questionnaire regarding their concern for the environment. The questionnaire included Schultz's (2001) EC scale, designed to help clarify which of the three EC types was most important to the participant. The questionnaire also included a brief description of the yellow sandshell, a locally endangered species native to Ohio waterways, and then asked participants to select the EC-framed statement with which they most agreed. The researchers pilot-tested the framing statements prior to the study to ensure consistency. They used six versions of the EC scale to address potential order bias. At Zoo One, the researchers asked 372 visitors to participate in the study; of those, 311 (84%) agreed, with 298 returning usable questionnaires.
At Zoo Two, the researchers collected data in a similar manner over the course of several weekdays in November 2009. Here, however, they gave participants a questionnaire that contained the EC scale along with three general statements on environmental issues, rather than the information and statements specific to the yellow sandshell. The EC-framed statements were similar to those provided at Zoo One, but were not focused on a specific species. At Zoo Two, the researchers asked 480 visitors to participate; of those, 415 (86.5%) agreed and 400 returned usable questionnaires.
All of the participants were over the age of 18. At Zoo One, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female. Over 70% of these visitors were visiting in intergenerational groups. The researchers collected different demographic data from Zoo Two, where 40% of respondents were zoo members, 29% were visiting a zoo for the first time in the past year, 42% were visiting a zoo for the second or third time in the past year, and 29% had visited a zoo three or more times in the past year.
A majority (70.8%) of the sample from Zoo One preferred the biospheric-framed statement and 23.2% chose the social-altruistic–framed statement, while only 3.7% chose the egoistic-framed statement as their preference. Similarly, in the sample from Zoo Two, the majority (64%) preferred the biospheric-framed statement, while 24.8% chose the social-altruistic–framed statement and 11.3% preferred the egoistic-framed statement. Taken together, these findings suggest that zoo visitors have a stronger preference for statements framed by biospheric concerns. This finding differs from previous work that suggested Americans generally prefer statements framed with an egoistic orientation.
In analyzing the EC data, the researchers also noted that, as an individual's level of one type of concern increased, so did his or her levels of other types of concerns. So, as an individual's level of biospheric concern rose, so did his or her level of social-altruistic concern. Additionally, in the sample from Zoo Two, respondents showed significantly higher averages of biospheric-framed EC than nonmembers. Likewise, participants who had visited a zoo four or more times in the past year showed significantly higher means for the biospheric-framed statements than those who had visited fewer than four times. Thus, according to this study, people who engage in conservation-related behaviors—such as joining a zoo or frequently visiting a zoo—are likely to hold higher levels of biospheric EC.
In this study, the majority of participants preferred statements framed by biospheric concern, or concern for all living things. The authors suggest that visiting a zoo might prime biospheric attitudes, making it a more common preference for the zoo visitors. Thus, biospherically framed messages may be most effective in motivating EC and pro-environmental behavior at zoos.
The Bottom Line
How environmental messages are framed is important as it influences individuals' attitudes and behaviors. Using an environmental concern frame might be particularly effective for engaging the public in caring about the environment and, by extension, becoming interested in developing conservation-related knowledge, skills, and perhaps even actions. In a study that sampled several hundred visitors at two zoos, the majority of participants preferred statements that were framed by concern for all living things rather than focused more specifically on social interactions or humans in particular. Therefore, for zoos, messages framed by concern for all living things— biospheric messages—may be effective in promoting environmentally responsible behavior among visitors.