Dolphin-human Interaction: Pro-environmental Attitudes, Beliefs and Intended Behaviours and Actions of Participants in Interpretation Programs: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This paper reports on a comparison of the management and interpretation practices of two differing dolphin-human interaction sites in Queensland. The major objectives of the pilot study were to compare the management and dolphin-human interaction practices and to measure the post-experience effectiveness of the interpretation programs upon self-reported pro-environmental attitudes, beliefs, intended behaviours and intended actions of participants at the two sites. A further objective was to identify which interpretation practices were most effective in enhancing the intended proenvironmental behaviours and specific actions of the participants. A questionnaire based on the pro-environmental ‘attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and actions’ (ABBA) process, as presented in the paper, was administered to participants immediately after their dolphin-human interaction experience. Overall, visitors to both sites were very satisfied with their experience, but differences occurred between sites in individual satisfaction factors, visitor motivations and the degree to which participants perceived that their intended pro-environmental behaviours and actions were affected and/or enhanced. The effects upon pro-environmental attitudes and intentions were perceived to be directly related to the quality of the interpretation program offered.