To know about science is to love it? Unraveling <scp>cause–effect</scp> relationships between knowledge and attitudes toward science in citizen science on urban wildlife ecology

Nowadays, citizens collaborate increasingly with scientists in citizen science (CS) projects on environmental issues. CS often have educational goals and aim to increase citizens' knowledge the ultimate goal of fostering positive attitudes toward science. To date, little is known about extent which strengthen interrelationship between attitudes. Based previous research, it has been suggested that knowledge–attitude relationship could be further examined by focusing different aspects: (1) attitudinal domains, (2) topic-specific knowledge, (3) its direction. Our study contributes clarification interrelation scientific within specific domain urban wildlife ecology using cross-lagged panel analyses. We collected survey data five reasoning abilities, epistemological beliefs from N = 303 participants before after they participated a project ecology. Participants analyzed terrestrial mammals German metropolitan city. results provide evidence for due topic-specificity (e.g., ecology). method provided rigorous assessment direction showed was predictor more