| Los Angeles science museum visitors were surveyed to learn about attitudes toward marine wildlife among a culturally diverse sample of local residents. A conceptual framework linking global, local, and individual level influences in attitude formation was developed, a submodel emphasizing individual-level factors in forming attitudes towards marine wildlife was employed in survey instrument development. Analysis revealed linkages between respondent knowledge of, preferences for, and interactions with marine wildlife, and particular attitudes towards animals. While socioeconomic and demographic links were found with attitudes, notably, some systematic differences were also found in attitudes held by respondents sharing cultural characteristics such as race/ethnicity, language, religion, and immigrant status. Relationships were also evident between attitudes towards animals and respondents' tolerance for ways of treating animals specific to particular cultural groups. Differences in cultural attitudes towards marine wildlife were shown to exist and warrant further research. |
