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Change the Humans First: Principles for Improving the Management of Free-Roaming Cats
- Source :
- Animals, Vol 9, Iss 8, p 555 (2019), Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- MDPI AG, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Simple Summary For free-roaming cat management to be effective, people—including land managers, conservationists, cat lovers and the general public—need to be sufficiently empowered and motivated to accept and implement management actions. Research in the social and behavioural sciences has shown that engaging everyone and gaining consensus can be incredibly challenging. This paper describes an integrative framework based on the behavioural literature to design better, equitable and ethically acceptable interventions for free-roaming cat management. Abstract In Australia, free-roaming cats can be found in urban and rural areas across the country. They are inherently difficult to manage but it is frequently human behaviour that demands the most attention and is in most need of change. To the frustration of policy makers and practitioners, scientific knowledge, technological developments, and legal and institutional innovations, often run afoul of insufficient public capacity, opportunity and motivation to act. This paper demonstrates how the behavioural science literature can provide important insights into maximising the impact of free-roaming cat control activities within an ethical framework that prioritises acting “with” all stakeholders, rather than “on” stakeholders. By better understanding how human values, attitudes and beliefs are shaped, practitioners can more effectively and respectfully interact with how people interpret the world around them, make choices and behave. This literature also has much to say about why certain types of media and marketing messages elicit behaviour change and why other types fall flat. Finally, in addition to explaining the behavioural science and its implications, this review provides researchers, policy makers and engagement specialists with an inclusive, practical framework for conceptualising behaviour change and working to ensure land managers, cat owners and the general public can agree on and adopt best practices for managing free-roaming cats.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Sociology of scientific knowledge
human behaviour change
Best practice
Control (management)
Behavioural sciences
Review
Human values
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
behaviour change wheel
community-based social marketing
lcsh:Zoology
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology
lcsh:QL1-991
Ethical framework
lcsh:Veterinary medicine
General Veterinary
business.industry
05 social sciences
Public relations
intervention design
lcsh:SF600-1100
Animal Science and Zoology
Business
Rural area
Free roaming cats
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20762615
- Volume :
- 9
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Animals
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2c69c20ab80ad5cb6ccbbe28cfb493ad