The psychological aspects in the preferences on animal species

In an investigation it has been possible to find out what are the preferences of people about animal species. The beliefs that people hold about animal species (stereotypes) can determine their attitudes towards issues such as conservation efforts for endangered species or the control of non-native species that cause damage to ecosystems and negatively affect biodiversity.

The study was carried out by Rocío Alejandra Díaz and Marcelo Hernán Cassini, from the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) in Argentina, as well as Verónica Sevillano, from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) in Spain.

According to the study authors, who are experts in behavioral biology and social psychology, the study results are broadly applicable to both people in urban settings and those living in rural settings. “However, people from rural areas show a greater preference for native species compared to urban people, which would be explained by their regular contact with animal species,” they detail.

According to the study, if the stereotype associated with the different species is attended to, it is found that the preferred animal species are those perceived by society as intelligent and skilled, but dangerous and unfriendly (astonishment-threat stereotype). On the other hand, the least preferred species are those perceived as not very intelligent and dangerous (derogatory stereotype).

“We found a lower preference for animals that correspond to the derogatory stereotype, for example chameleons, Komodo dragons or snakes, since they are perceived negatively in terms of competence and intentionality. Whereas, the preference for animals that fit the awe-threat stereotype is unexpected given that they are ambivalent: animals with great competence, but with harmful intent,” the team argue.

Graph that shows preferred animals in percentage based on the stereotype to which it belongs. (Image: Diaz et al., 2022)

The preference for non-native animals belonging to the astonishment-threat stereotype is due to the fact that, in places where these species do not inhabit naturally, the competition attributes increase in relation to those places where these species are native. “In other words, our findings suggest that the exotic origin of a species could favor the development of preferences by overshadowing its negative attributes,” the study authors conclude.

The study is titled “Do people care about the origin of the wildlife? The role of social stereotypes on public preference for exotic animals”. And it has been published in the academic journal Animals. (Source: UAM)