Thiedemann, Justus (2025) The Return of the Wolf: The Impact of Emotions and Information Framing on Acceptance of Wolves and Lethal Control. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
The return of wolves to the Netherlands has reignited debates about their reintegration and adequate management strategies. This study examines whether acceptance toward wolves and the acceptability of lethal control are affected by emotions (i.e., fear, anger, and fascination) and framed information typically found in news media and educational efforts. We conducted a survey experiment with participants (N = 155) from the Friesland region, randomly exposing them to either negatively framed, positively framed, or neutral information about wolves. Results showed that higher levels of fascination were indicative of more acceptance of wolves and less acceptability for lethal control, while for fear and anger, the opposite pattern was observed. However, neither negatively nor positively framed information about wolves significantly influenced participants' emotions or attitudes as expected. Exploratory analyses revealed that most participants had already been frequently exposed to wolf-related news prior to the study, and that increased exposure to news media was associated with more negative emotions and attitudes, as well as lower levels of positive emotions towards wolves. Our findings underscore the central role of emotions, particularly fascination, in shaping attitudes towards wolves and highlight the need to consider these in efforts to foster successful coexistence between people and wolves.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Bouman, Thijs |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Environmental Psychology (EP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jul 2025 09:31 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jul 2025 09:31 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5673 |
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