Attitudes of outdoor-activists towards nature and landscape

An environmental-psychological study about motivational factors and possible solutions

Outdoor-activities can have negative consequences on nature and landscape. Following the "Swiss Landscape Concept", the people should be fostered towards a nature- and landscape-protecting behaviour. Authorities and Sports-Associations tried to reach this aim by giving informational advices, but without any proven success.

This new social research project located at the WSL`s section "Landscape and Society" is dealing with the development and evaluation of behaviour changing strategies, encouraging environmentally responsible behaviour. The analysis of the motivation of outdoor-activists and their attitudes towards nature and landscape will serve as a basis for the development of intervention experiments.

Research Questions

• What are the motivational reasons and backgrounds for nature and landscape-orientated leisure-activities?
  
• Do outdoor-activists have the willingness to change their behaviour in order to protect nature and landscape?
  
• Which concrete strategies can help fostering sustainable changes in attitudes and behaviour in an effective and efficient manner?

Methods

There will be used a Combination of several research strategies:

• qualitative (expert) interviews
  
• epresentative (nation-wide) written survey (standardised questionnaire)
  
• Interventions (experimental design), to test behaviour-changing strategies.

These data will provide information about the motivational structure of outdoor-activists and will support the development of strategies fostering nature and landscape protecting behavior.

Participants

• Christina Zeidenitz (Project-executive)
  
• Dr. Marcel Hunziker (Project-Management)
• PD Dr. H.J. Mosler (PhD-supervisor)
  
• WSL, Buwal, SOV (Financing)

Contact

• Marcel Hunziker