The Only Good Snake is a Dead Snake: Secondary School Students' Attitudes Toward Snakes

ABSTRACT

This cross-age study investigates the secondary school students' attitudes toward snake. Responses were elicited from a convenience sample of students (9^th, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade, n=188). A Likert-type “Shark Attitude Inventory” developed by Thompson and Mintzes (2002), adapted for snakes and with name of “Snake Attitude Scale” (SS) was used for data collection. The attitude scale, on the basis of “nine attitudinal typologies toward wildlife” defined by Stephen R. Kellert, generated subscale scores on three dimensions: negativistic, scientistic/naturalistic, utilitarian/negative. Significant differences were not found among educational level on all attitudinal dimensions. Gender differences were documented on two of three attitude subscales. The pattern of findings suggests that males excelled in negativistic and scientistic/naturalistic attitudes scores. The results did not yield a statistically significant difference between males and females in terms of utilitarian/negative attitude.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• secondary students
• snakes