The Impact of Social Norms on Intended Individual and Collective Civic Actions Related to Wolf Reintroduction

Biodiversity conservation requires individual and collective civic actions that impact broader systems and structures. Though research shows individual conservation-related behaviors are often driven by social norms, little is known about the influence of social norms on collective actions. We sought to identify the relative influence of perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, compared to attitudes, beliefs, and other individual characteristics (e.g., sociodemographics), on intended voting and collective civic actions related to carnivore restoration and management. We conducted a public survey focused on wolf reintroduction in Colorado, which was brought to a public vote and ultimately passed in November 2020. We found that both perceived descriptive and injunctive norms influenced voting intentions while perceived descriptive norms were influential for those who intended to engage in collective action in opposition to reintroduction. Our findings suggest that harnessing the power of social norms may be important in conservation campaigns, particularly those focused on voting.