A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Link between Modernization, Anthropomorphism and Attitude to Wildlife

Anthropogenic pressure has significantly increased in the last decades, often enhancing conflicts at human–wildlife interface. Therefore, understanding peoples’ value orientations, attitudes and behavioural intentions towards wildlife is a crucial endeavour to reduce occurrence of between humans wildlife. Previous research USA shown consistent link modernization anthropomorphism (i.e., tendency attribute human mental or physical characteristics other entities), leading positive changes attitudes, In this paper, we aimed address whether also present cultures, by testing participants (N = 741) five different countries (Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain). Our study shows that while anthropomorphism, universal, culturally mediated. some (Indonesia, Spain), others predicted no differences (Brazil) even decrease (Mexico), ultimately deteriorating individuals’ attitude These results call for caution when generalizing findings from western industrialized inform conservation policies worldwide.