From Values to Action: An Integrative Explanatory Framework for Insect Conservation Intentions and Behavior.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Psychology
• Conservation Science

Background:

• Insect populations are declining globally, necessitating an understanding of public engagement in conservation.
• Identifying psychological drivers is crucial for effective insect conservation strategies.
• Romania represents an understudied sociocultural context for insect conservation research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key psychological drivers of insect conservation behavior in Romania.
• To compare the predictive power of the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and an integrated VBN-TPB framework.
• To explore the role of knowledge, misconceptions, and perceived barriers in insect conservation engagement.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 346 adult respondents via an online questionnaire.
• Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) used to analyze data.
• Evaluation of VBN, TPB, and integrated VBN-TPB models for predicting conservation behavior.

Main Results:

• The VBN model demonstrated superior explanatory power compared to TPB.
• Biospheric values, ecological worldviews, and personal moral norms were key predictors of behavioral intention and action.
• Moderate entomological knowledge existed, but specific practice awareness was limited, with frequent misconceptions.
• Informational deficits, time, and financial constraints significantly inhibited conservation engagement.

Conclusions:

• Effective insect conservation interventions require more than knowledge dissemination.
• Strategies should focus on activating moral norms and strengthening affective/identity-based motivations.
• Addressing structural barriers is essential to promote public engagement in insect conservation.