The influence of wildlife images on conservation intentions: Investigating the mediating role of emotion

Abstract Human actions can not only contribute to species extinction but also offer a path towards preventing it. Therefore, it is essential for conservation communicators to identify optimal communication methods to encourage positive pro‐conservation behaviours. Currently, while most behavioural science research in conservation has focused on text‐based messaging, the impacts of imagery on a viewer's emotions and actions remain underexplored. Drawing on Frijda's action tendency theory, we propose that images, a currently under‐researched area of conservation messaging, can act as an emotional stimulus, which triggers an emotional response, leading to pro‐conservation behavioural intentions. To test this theory, we conducted an experimental survey of 2106 Australians, each randomly shown one of several images of a Galah ( Eolophus roseicapilla ) in various styles. Participants reported their emotional reactions to the image using the affective slider scale as well as their likelihood of engaging in 10 different conservation behaviours. We then tested the effects of these image styles on participants' emotional arousal and valence as well as downstream effects on pro‐conservation behavioural intentions, by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). Results indicated that images showing negatively framed contexts (such as deforested or drought ridden areas) and depicting the animal further away from the camera elicited lower emotional valence and arousal in viewers. However, our results suggest that strong positive (high arousal, high valence) emotions in viewers are associated with stronger pro‐conservation behavioural intentions. The indirect pathway from image style to emotion to behavioural intention was present, but relatively weak; however, our results also suggest that the sphere of the behaviour (public or private facing) was important in determining intention strength. We suggest that conservation campaigns can make effective use of carefully selected images to elicit specific emotions in viewers and that these emotions may aid in priming viewers towards performing different types of pro‐conservation behaviours. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.