Using Audience Segmentation to Understand Nonparticipation in Invasive Mammal Management in Australia

Abstract

Invasive mammals threaten agriculture, biodiversity, and community health. Yet many landholders fail to engage in control activities recommended by experts. We surveyed a representative sample of 731 Western Australian rural landholders. The survey assessed landholders’ participation in a range of activities to control invasive mammals, as well as their capabilities, opportunities, and motivation for engaging in such activities. We found that over half of our respondents had not participated in any individual or group activities to control invasive mammals during the previous 12 months. Using latent profile analysis, we identified six homogeneous subgroups of nonparticipating landholders, each with their distinct psycho-graphic profiles: Unaware, Unskilled, and Unmotivated, Aware but Unskilled and Doubtful, Unskilled and Time Poor, Disinterested, Skilled but Dismissive, and Capable but Unmotivated. Our results indicate that engagement specialists should not treat nonparticipating landholders as a single homogeneous group. Nonparticipators differ considerably in terms of their capabilities, opportunities, and motivations, and require targeted engagement strategies informed by these differences.

Appendix 1– Copy of Survey Questions

1. Is your property mainly used for (read out)

Cattle production	1	Mixed farming	5	Lifestyle	9
Dairy	2	Dryland cropping	6	Residential	10
Sheep production	3	Irrigated cropping	7	Other:	11
Other livestock:	4	Boutique enterprise:	8	Specify___________
Specify___________		Specify___________

2. Is your property your main source of income?	Yes	1	No	2
3. How long have you lived on your property?	_____________ years

4. To what extent do you consider … (from list below) to be a problem on your property—on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 = a very severe problem, 4 = severe problem, 3 = a moderate problem, 2 = minor problem, 1 = not a problem at all?

	Not a problem	Minor problem	Moderate problem	Severe problem	Very severe problem
a. Wild dogs	1	2	3	4	5
b. Foxes	1	2	3	4	5
c. Feral cats	1	2	3	4	5
d. Feral pigs	1	2	3	4	5
e. Rabbits	1	2	3	4	5

5. In the past how often have you conducted individual activities to manage … (from list below) on your property—on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 = very often, 4 = often, 3 = sometimes, 2 = rarely, 1 = never?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very often
a. Wild dogs	1	2	3	4	5
b. Foxes	1	2	3	4	5
c. Feral cats	1	2	3	4	5
d. Feral pigs	1	2	3	4	5
e. Rabbits	1	2	3	4	5

6. In the past how often have you participated in organized group activities with neighbors and other community members to manage … (from list below)

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very often
a. Wild dogs	1	2	3	4	5
b. Foxes	1	2	3	4	5
c. Feral cats	1	2	3	4	5
d. Feral pigs	1	2	3	4	5
e. Rabbits	1	2	3	4	5

7. People give many reasons why they do or don’t conduct pest animal management activities. I am going to read out a list of these reasons. Please tell me to what extent to you agree or disagree with each statement—on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 = strongly agree and 1 = strongly disagree.

	Disagree			Agree
a. I do not know the best methods to control pest animals on my property	1	2	3	4	5	NA
b. I do not have the skill to carry out pest animal management activities correctly	1	2	3	4	5	NA
c. I do not have the time to carry out pest animal management activities when they are required	1	2	3	4	5	NA
d. It is too expensive to conduct pest animal management activities	1	2	3	4	5	NA
f. Most of my neighbors do not control pest animals on their properties	1	2	3	4	5	NA
g. In my community, landholders are expected to control pest animals on their properties	1	2	3	4	5	NA
h. Managing pest animals will not improve the profitability of my enterprise	1	2	3	4	5	NA
i. Managing pest animals will not improve the long-term sustainability of my property	1	2	3	4	5	NA
j. I do not think that the impacts of animals labeled as pests are as bad as they are made out to be	1	2	3	4	5	NA
k. I believe pest animal control methods are inhumane	1	2	3	4	5	NA
l. I seem to be wasting my time as the pest animals always come back	1	2	3	4	5	NA
m. Controlling pests and caring for my land are inseparable	1	2	3	4	5	NA
n. I control pest animals for the recognition I get for being a good land manager	1	2	3	4	5	NA

And just to finish off.

8. Can I just check your age range – are you	18–29	1		50–59	4
		30–39	2		60–69	5
		40–49	3		70+	6
					declined		7
9. Gender (record automatically)		Male 1		Female 2