More than a feeling: Cognitive beliefs and positive—but not negative—affect predict overall attitudes toward predators

Attitudes, which can be thought of as the sum individuals' thoughts, feelings, and beliefs concerning an attitude object, inform how people interact with world around them. An understanding attitudes may play important role in promoting desirable human behavior, studies should incorporated into any behavior-change intervention. One framework for is ABC, or “tripartite” model, says that affect (“A,” i.e., emotional response); previous behavior (“B”); cognition (“C,” beliefs) are basis individual's attitude. Although this widely used social psychology, few conservation break down “attitude” monolith these more usable components. In study, we sought apply ABC to understand cognitive relate overall toward predators across southern Kenya north-west Zimbabwe. We a factor analysis approach identify latent affective (n = 3) factors relating human–predator interactions. These were then construct regression examined power psychological explain predators. found model explained 27% variation attitudes, four independently significant factors: location; perceived harms living predators; benefits killing positive affect. effect sizes relatively small, results suggest substantially influence therefore interventions seek (a) remove factual negative (b) improve perceptions dispel unfounded changing