Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Department of Psychology and Sociological Studies, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Apr 1;763:143045. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143045. Epub 2020 Oct 17.
Snakes play a crucial role in natural ecosystems, providing ecological services to people by decreasing rodent populations which may cause disease transmission and impair agricultural production. Despite these benefits, snakes are historically a target of persecution and negative attitudes across cultures, and many of them are threatened. Understanding the predictors of snake-human conflicts is essential to improve conservation efforts. We investigated the degree to which emotions, myth beliefs, experience with snakes (via exposure, bites, and knowledge of mortality from a snakebite), and education would predict attitudes toward snakes in a sample of southeastern Nigerian people. We further examined whether attitudes would predict intentional killing of snakes. Ordinal regression analyses revealed that fear, disgust, and belief in the myth that snakes are evil were related to low tolerance of snakes. More frequent encounters with snakes and higher education were associated with higher tolerance of snakes. Furthermore, higher tolerance of snakes was associated with a reduced likelihood of intentionally killing snakes, even when controlling for the influence of the other psychological and experiential variables. Wildlife management education interventions may be important to change attitudes and decrease intentional killing of snakes.
蛇在自然生态系统中起着至关重要的作用，通过减少可能导致疾病传播和损害农业生产的啮齿动物数量，为人类提供生态服务。尽管有这些好处，但蛇在历史上一直是各文化中迫害和负面态度的对象，它们中的许多物种受到威胁。了解蛇类与人冲突的预测因素对于改善保护工作至关重要。我们调查了在尼日利亚东南部人群样本中，情绪、神话信仰、蛇类接触（通过暴露、咬伤和了解蛇咬伤的死亡率）和教育程度对蛇类态度的影响程度。我们进一步研究了态度是否会预测故意杀死蛇类。有序回归分析表明，恐惧、厌恶和相信蛇是邪恶的神话与对蛇的低容忍度有关。更频繁地遇到蛇和更高的教育程度与对蛇的更高容忍度有关。此外，即使在控制其他心理和经验变量的影响下，对蛇的容忍度越高，故意杀死蛇的可能性就越低。野生动物管理教育干预措施可能对改变态度和减少故意杀死蛇类具有重要意义。
