Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item A conciliatory and persuasive social campaign changes owner behavior to reduce cats' hunting(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology, 2024-07-08) MacDonald E; Farnworth M; van Heezik Y; Stafford K; Linklater WSolutions to the cats-hunting-wildlife environmental conflict could benefit from social science approaches. Our Theory of Planned Behavior questionnaire—informed by an elicitation survey of cat owners at veterinary clinics about their attitudes, norms, and beliefs regarding bringing their cats inside at night—surveyed 158 cat owners across 20 veterinarian clinics in four cities. It revealed that wildlife conservation was not influential on cat owner intention but veterinarians, cat safety, peers, and household members were. Thus, we designed a social marketing campaign with two treatments: (1) a veterinarian/cat safety message or (2) social/family norm message. Thirty-four veterinary clinics received one of the two campaign posters or served as the control group. Customers (n = 510) received a “cat welfare” survey and then a pamphlet with the advocated message, and a follow-up survey by email or telephone 3–6 weeks later (69% response rate). Campaign messaging significantly increased the number of cat owners who reported bringing their cats inside at night compared to the control group. The social/family norm message was most effective. Although rudimentary, the campaign generated measurable changes in cat owner intention and behavior. Conservation campaigns informed by co-benefits for cat owners may reduce cats' hunting and be conciliatory ways of transcending environmental conflict.Item Alcohol marketing on social media: young people’s exposure, engagement and alcohol-related behaviors(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-07-08) McCreanor T; Moewaka Barnes A; Goodwin I; Carah N; Young J; Spicer J; Lyons ACAim Alcohol promotions in conventional channels are associated with subsequent alcohol consumption in young people, but little is known about young people’s exposure to digital alcohol marketing. This exploratory study investigated young people’s exposure to, and engagement with, alcohol marketing on social media platforms, variations across sociodemographic groups and associations with alcohol-related behaviors. Method An online survey was conducted with 3698 participants aged between 14 and 20 years (M = 17.1; SD = 1.8) in New Zealand. The survey asked about social media use and exposure to and engagement with alcohol product marketing on their preferred platforms, alcohol consumption patterns, hazardous drinking (AUDIT-C scores) and purchasing alcohol online. Results Nearly three-quarters of the sample who responded to questions about exposure to alcohol marketing (70.6%; n = 1541) reported seeing marketing on at least one social media platform, with older respondents (18–20 years) more likely to report exposure than younger respondents (14–17 years); no differences were found across gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic groups. Over one-third of those who responded to questions about engagement (40.7%; n = 850) reported engaging with alcohol marketing and this varied by age, gender and ethnicity. Recall of exposure to alcohol marketing was less strongly associated with online purchase and having ever drunk alcohol than was engagement with alcohol marketing, which was also associated with hazardous drinking. Conclusions Engagement with alcohol marketing was more strongly related to alcohol behaviors, including online purchasing, having ever drunk alcohol, and drinking at hazardous levels, than exposure. These findings also demonstrated inequitable patterns of engagement with alcohol marketing on social media associated with these novel algorithmic marketing methods.Item Assessing animal welfare during a stranding of pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata)(John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2023-10-01) Boys RM; Beausoleil NJ; Hunter S; Betty EL; Hinton B; Stockin KAEmpirical assessment of cetacean welfare to inform stranding interventions is lacking. Here, potential welfare indicators are described for two stranded pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata), along with euthanasia procedures and pathology of potential relevance. The animals were filmed for 3.5 and 1.5 hr, respectively, allowing assessment of 19 indicators, including animal behaviors and human interventions. Eight interventions and 19 animal behaviors were identified; 17 and 11 behaviors were displayed by animal 1 and 2, respectively. Examination of ballistics euthanasia revealed atypical projectile placement and characterized animal behavioral responses, but welfare implications could not be assessed as insensibility was not verified in-field. Pulmonary edema and renal degeneration were documented in both animals; differential etiologies include ischemia–reperfusion, shock, and/or myopathy. Potential relationships among histopathology and welfare indicators are explored to infer affective experiences. For example, simultaneous head-lifting with respiration increased over time which, alongside pulmonary edema, suggests these animals experienced breathlessness. Other likely affective states include fatigue and discomfort; there are insufficient data to estimate the intensity or duration of these experiences or to provide an overall welfare grade/score. Further data are required to validate the proposed welfare indicators and to progress development of holistic approaches to welfare assessment at cetacean strandings.Item Marine reserves indirectly affect fine-scale habitat associations, but not overall densities, of small benthic fishes.(2016-09) Smith ANH; Anderson MJMany large, fishery-targeted predatory species have attained very high relative densities as a direct result of protection by no-take marine reserves. Indirect effects, via interactions with targeted species, may also occur for species that are not themselves targeted by fishing. In some temperate rocky reef ecosystems, indirect effects have caused profound changes in community structure, notably the restoration of predator-urchin-macroalgae trophic cascades. Yet, indirect effects on small benthic reef fishes remain poorly understood, perhaps because of behavioral associations with complex, refuge-providing habitats. Few, if any, studies have evaluated any potential effects of marine reserves on habitat associations in small benthic fishes. We surveyed densities of small benthic fishes, including some endemic species of triplefin (Tripterygiidae), along with fine-scale habitat features in kelp forests on rocky reefs in and around multiple marine reserves in northern New Zealand over 3 years. Bayesian generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate evidence for (1) main effects of marine reserve protection, (2) associations with habitat gradients, including complexity, and (3) differences in habitat associations inside versus outside reserves. No evidence of overall main effects of marine reserves on species richness or densities of fishes was found. Both richness and densities showed strong associations with gradients in habitat features, particularly habitat complexity. In addition, some species exhibited reserve-by-habitat interactions, having different associations with habitat gradients inside versus outside marine reserves. Two species (Ruanoho whero and Forsterygion flavonigrum) showed stronger positive associations with habitat complexity inside reserves. These results are consistent with the presence of a behavioral risk effect, whereby prey fishes are more strongly attracted to habitats that provide refuge from predation in areas where predators are more abundant. This work highlights the importance of habitat structure and the potential for fishing to affect behavioral interactions and the interspecific dynamic attributes of community structure beyond simple predator-prey consumption and archetypal trophic cascades.