Flawed risk perception– evaluation and estimation of damage.
Our ability to detect risk is usually hindered when the influence is indirect i.e. the need to use scientific method to assess the full damage of the situation. BLAST algorithm and Trap duration calculators are not common terms we hear and necessarily understand.
Visual representation of camera trap data
Information that is readily available comes in the form of media coverage be it in the news, social media, or radio broadcasting; all of which place more emphasis on day-to-day events or more sensational stories that can grab the most audience attention.
The information we do get to conserve tend to be framed as less important, optional or a general difference from daily life activities when in actual fact, it is precisely our daily practices that we have to be more mindful of that can truly alter the impact we have on the environment.
We tend to be more alarmed by low probability, high consequence issues like tsunami hitting Singapore, but the fact is Leopard cat endangerment is a more pressing and on-going issue.
We fear the unfamiliar, unobservable, and uncontrollable, thus the little known fact about Leopard cats is not working to our response advantage.
We are more concerned with illegal or careless acts- acts that prosecutors are easily identifiable that satisfies our moral capacity to blame, than issues of growth or overuse which puts the blame on ourselves.
It boils down our biases in information processing; there is too much information to attend to, so mental biases are in place to drive attitude and behavior.
Ego-centric bias to do what is best for ourselves since its nearly impossible to be completely altruistic.
Base rate and probability neglect applied to the issue of extinction of the LC species in relation to the probability of winning at gambling. Because a greater and more immediate sensational response is achieved when gambling, they tend to “invest” more time and money in low probability events such as winning as suppose to funding conservation movements for a high probability event such as extinction.
Prospect theory and temporal discounting causes us to prioritize on current costs and immediate problems as suppose to future benefits or long-term solutions. This is especially prevalent since the benefits for Leopard cat conservation tend to be indirect and to have an effect in itself takes a long time.
Availability heuristic has a lot to do with how salient the consequences are in our minds. With the help of media to reinforce, we are more likely to be concerned with problems that are continually exposed to which forces us to think. How often do you even hear the mention of leopard cats.
Defensive thinking results in us rationalizing away the consequences of our behavior when self-gratification is hindered, thereby interfering with rational perception of the situation.
To predict behavior, there is in actual fact, low correlation between knowledge and action. Many of us may know why and how to reduce, reuse and recycle. Evidently in the area of transportation in Singapore, we are supported by an efficient public transport system coupled with high car ownership prices. Yet we still face the problem of having too many cars on the road due to pure over population and rising affluence leading up to the need of road expansions and extensions- crossing green territories of the Leopard cats. There is also a limited ability of attitudes to predict behavior.
The Theory of Planned Action (TPA) states that behavioural intention is preceded by
(1)Attitude, (2) Subjective Norms and (3) Perceived Control
-Environmental economics—> economy dependent on ecological system (cost/benefit). In order for a normative reaction, the cause of LC conservation has to be deemed as economically valuable for all people in the community. Only then will it be of concern since it will become self-beneficial and hence more relatable.
-Attitudes—> attitudes relate to control over situation. They are evaluative reactions based on beliefs about a target of attitude generated from general values and core beliefs; strong predictor of behaviour. Influenced by: Affluence (luxury to be concerned with nature), Post-materialist values (Sick of materialism. New perspective of important things in life), stability and security (reduce development of egocentric behaviour; less need to be protective of self). In Singapore, I can safely say that we have generally reached stability and security within our state. However, the competitive nature of our society in-hand with high quality of life prevents influences of perceived affluence sufficient to conserve nor us attaining post-materialist values.
Money is never enough in Singapore!