Application of Self-Determination Theory to Wildlife Disease Risk Communication.

AbstractThe effective response to managing wildlife-associated diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD), requires meaningful cooperation between managers and affected groups. According to self-determination theory (SDT), a broad theory of motivation, communication efforts supportive of the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are more likely to motivate voluntary cooperation among affected groups than efforts centered on control. In this study, we applied a conceptual framework based on SDT to analyze state agency communication strategies. We surveyed key state agency personnel about their approach to CWD communication and conducted a content analysis of communication materials. We then conducted a qualitative analysis of open-ended responses from state agency personnel to identify patterns in appeals to autonomous motivation compared to more controlled forms of individual motivation. Our analysis suggests that agency communications provide variable support for individual basic psychological needs, and we suggest guidelines that may improve future communication efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]