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1. Ingroup love, outgroup hate, and the gateway group effect: Comparing the direct and indirect impact of dual versus single identification

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287631  

   Levy, Aharon; Galinsky, Adam; Nguyen, Christine Q.; Saguy, Tamar; Ikizer, Elif G.; Dovidio, John F. (August 2023, PLOS ONE)

   Windmann, Sabine (Ed.)

   Decades of research in social identity have shown that people instinctively hold positive attitudes towards ingroup members and negative attitudes towards outgroup members. However, it remains unclear how people respond to individuals explicitly identified with both one’s ingroup and outgroup. We propose that when people are exposed to dual-identified individuals and groups (e.g., Muslim-Americans explicitly identifying with both their Muslim and American identities), intergroup attitudes will improve, driven more by the ingroup component (American), despite the presence of the outgroup component (Muslim). Moreover, we suggest exposure to dual-identification can also improve attitudes toward the broader outgroup (Muslims more generally), a phenomenon called the gateway-group effect. To test these hypotheses, we created a new measure of dual-identification and conducted three studies involving both Muslim-Americans and Mexican-Americans. Results confirmed that exposure to explicitly dual-identified groups improved attitudes towards the dual-identified group (e.g., Mexican-Americans) as well as toward the respective outgroup (e.g., Mexicans). 

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2. Social-ecological drivers of metropolitan residents’ comfort living with wildlife

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1248238  

   Haight, Jeffrey D.; Larson, Kelli L.; Clark, Jeffrey A.; Lewis, Jesse S.; Hall, Sharon J. (November 2023, Frontiers in Conservation Science)

   IntroductionHuman-wildlife coexistence in cities depends on how residents perceive and interact with wildlife in their neighborhoods. An individual’s attitudes toward and responses to wildlife are primarily shaped by their subjective cognitive judgments, including multi-faceted environmental values and perceptions of risks or safety. However, experiences with wildlife could also positively or negatively affect an individual’s environmental attitudes, including their comfort living near wildlife. Previous work on human-wildlife coexistence has commonly focused on rural environments and on conflicts with individual problem species, while positive interactions with diverse wildlife communities have been understudied. MethodsGiven this research gap, we surveyed wildlife attitudes of residents across twelve neighborhoods in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, AZ to ask: how do the environments in which residents live, as well as their values, identities, and personal characteristics, explain the degree to which they are comfortable living near different wildlife groups (coyotes, foxes, and rabbits)? ResultsWe found that residents who were more comfortable living near wildlife commonly held pro-wildlife value orientations, reflecting the expectation that attitudes toward wildlife are primarily driven be an individual’s value-based judgements. However, attitudes were further influenced by sociodemographic factors (e.g., pet ownership, gender identity), as well as environmental factors that influence the presence of and familiarity with wildlife. Specifically, residents living closer to desert parks and preserves were more likely to have positive attitudes toward both coyotes and foxes, species generally regarded by residents as riskier to humans and domestic animals. DiscussionBy improving understanding of people’s attitudes toward urban wildlife, these results can help managers effectively evaluate the potential for human-wildlife coexistence through strategies to mitigate risk and facilitate stewardship. 

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3. One‐stage spatial mark–resight analysis reveals an increasing grizzly bear population with declining density near roads

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70246  

   Whittington, Jesse; Hebblewhite, Mark; Meyer, Connor; Johnston, Barb; Forshner, Anne; Macbeth, Bryan_J; Einfeldt, Anthony_L; Cherry, Seth_G (April 2025, Ecosphere)

   Abstract Wildlife ecologists throughout the world strive to monitor trends in population abundance to help manage wildlife populations and conserve species at risk. Spatial capture–recapture studies are the gold standard for monitoring density, yet they can be difficult to apply because researchers must be able to distinguish all detected individuals. Spatial mark–resight (SMR) models only require a subset of the population to be marked and identifiable. Recent advances in SMR models with radio‐collared animals required a two‐staged analysis. We developed a one‐stage generalized SMR (gSMR) model that used detection histories of marked and unmarked animals in a single analysis. We used simulations to assess the performance of one‐ and two‐stage gSMR models. We then applied the one‐stage gSMR with telemetry and remote camera data to estimate grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) abundance from 2012 to 2023 within the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We estimated abundance trends for the population and reproductive females (females with cubs of the year). Simulations suggest that one‐ and two‐stage models performed equally well. One‐stage models are more dependable as they use exact likelihoods, whereas two‐stage models have shorter computation times for large data sets. Both methods had >95% credible interval coverage and minimal bias. Increasing the number of marked animals increased the accuracy and precision of abundance estimates, and ≥10 marked animals were required to obtain coefficients of variation <20% in most scenarios. The grizzly bear population increased slightly (growth rate λ_mean = 1.02) to a 2023 density of 10.4 grizzly bears/1000 km². Reproductive female abundance had high interannual variability and increased to 1.0 bears/1000 km². Population density was highest within protected areas, within high‐quality habitat and far from paved roads. The density of activity centers declined near paved roads over time. Mechanisms of decline may have included direct mortality and shifting activity centers to avoid human activity. Our study demonstrates the influence of human activity on localized density and the importance of protected areas for carnivore conservation. Finally, our study highlights the widespread utility of remote camera and telemetry‐based SMR models for monitoring spatiotemporal trends in abundance. 

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4. Multiple social identities cloud norm perception: responses to COVID-19 among university aged Republicans and Democrats

   https://doi.org/10.3389/frbhe.2023.1205873  

   Krupka, Erin; Hoover, Hanna; Eckel, Catherine; Rosenblat, Tanya; Ojumu, Oluwagbemiga; Wilson, Rick K. (October 2023, Frontiers in Behavioral Economics)

   Filippos Exadaktylos (Ed.)

   IntroductionMost work on social identity, defined as one's sense of self derived from membership to social groups, focuses on a single identity and its behavioral consequences. But a central insight of social identity theory is that people belong to multiple social groups, derive self-esteem from multiple identities and care to conform to the norms for those identities. However, very little work has turned its attention to understanding when and how multiple social identities interact. We motivate hypotheses with a framework that extends a social identity model to include multiple identities. MethodsUsing a longitudinal sample (N> 600) of university students located primarily in Texas and throughout the US, we use university social identity, and the associated university norms, to characterize COVID related social distancing norms between April and October of 2020 and then unpack how another identity, the student's political identity, impacts perception of those norms. ResultsDespite incentives to do otherwise, we find that beliefs about university norms differ depending on the respondent's political identity. We interpret this as a spillover effect of attitudes from one identity to another. DiscussionWe relate our results back to a model of social identity, to the literature on spillovers where such psychological spillovers are hard to empirically identify, and to methods for future work on identity and spillovers. 

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5. Human–Wildlife Interactions and Coexistence in an Urban Desert Environment

   https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043307  

   Larson, Kelli L.; Rosales Chavez, Jose-Benito; Brown, Jeffrey A.; Morales-Guerrero, Jorge; Avilez, Dayanara (February 2023, Sustainability)

   Negative interactions between people and wildlife pose a significant challenge to their coexistence. Past research on human–wildlife interactions has largely focused on conflicts involving carnivores in rural areas. Additional research is needed in urban areas to examine the full array of negative and positive interactions between people and wildlife. In this study, we have conducted interviews in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona (USA), to explore residents’ everyday interactions with wildlife where they live. Our multifaceted approach examines interactions involving physical contact and observational experiences, as well as associated attitudinal and behavioral responses and actions toward wildlife. Overall, the qualitative analysis of residents’ narratives identified two distinct groups: people who are indifferent toward wildlife where they live, and those who appreciate and steward wildlife. Instead of revealing conflicts and negative interactions toward wildlife, our findings underscore the positive interactions that can foster human wellbeing in urban areas. The holistic approach presented herein can advance knowledge and the management of coexistence, which involves not only managing conflicts but also tolerance, acceptance, and stewardship. Understanding diverse human–wildlife interactions and managing coexistence can advance both wildlife conservation and human wellbeing in cities. 

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