Social Influences and Backcountry Visitor Behavior in Occupied Grizzly Bear Habitat

Abstract

Increasing concerns about confrontations between backcountry recreational visitors and bears have led to bear management plans that rely heavily on information programs to persuade such visitors to adopt appropriate behaviors. The effectiveness of these programs is sometimes questioned because confrontations continue, and the cause is often inappropriate human behavior. Contemporary attitude theory suggests that social influences on behavior may affect the reception and adoption of information programs. This study investigated the importance of various social groups to backcountry visitors as sources of information and as influences on appropriate behavior in occupied grizzly bear habitat. Of nine referent groups, backcountry rangers and group members were identified as the most influential and reliable sources of information. Overall, the importance of specific types of social and informational influences varied in their influence on backcountry visitor behavioral norms.