Toward a Mental Systems Approach to Human Relationships with Wildlife: The Role of Emotional Dispositions

Abstract

Emotions toward wildlife are basic and important determinants of relationships with wildlife. Addressing emotional dispositions—criteria against which the emotional relevance of objects or situations is appraised—could foster the study of emotions toward wildlife in connection with cognitions. This article reviews various approaches to the study of emotions, gives an account of the working of emotions, and discusses the nature and properties of emotional dispositions. Emotional dispositions are relatively stable traits. Research has identified a limited set of general emotional dispositions that are employed to judge situations (including situations involving wildlife): (a) novelty, (b) valence, (c) conduciveness to goals, (d) agency, and (e) compatibility with standards. Emotional dispositions toward various species of wildlife can be innate or learned. It is largely unknown which emotional dispositions humans have toward which species; answering this question should be a primary topic for future research.

Keywords:

• affect
• appraisal
• emotional dispositions
• emotions