416
Another approach to measuring attitude change is to assess attitudes expressed by
the same individuals at two points in time. Gordon et al. ( 2014 ) completed the only
study we could fi nd that has done so in the context of invasive species management.
As noted previously, the authors found that while overall acceptance of the use of
vegetation management practices remained relatively steady over time, many indi-
viduals gave different responses in 2010 than they had in 2006. To assess infl uences
on those changes, the authors statistically identifi ed factors that could predict
whether a person’s acceptance of livestock grazing or herbicide application would
change over that period. For livestock grazing , acceptance increased among respon-
dents who also gained greater trust in land managers’ ability to use grazing as an
effective management tool, but no other factor was infl uential. Conversely, among
respondents whose trust in the management ability of public land agencies had
declined between 2006 and 2010, acceptance of grazing as a way to reduce unwanted
plants also declined. However, changes in acceptance for grazing were not related
to changes in beliefs about the threat posed by exotic plant invasion. For herbicide
application , attitude change also was positively correlated with change in trust in
managers’ ability to use herbicides effectively, but respondents were also more
likely to increase their support for herbicide application if t hey had grown more
concerned about the threat posed by exotic plant invasion.
14.2.4 Reported Behaviors and Behavioral Intentions
with Respect to Invasive Annual Grasses
Tidwell asked his Southwestern US respondents about their willingness to volunteer
for weed management activities including control, monitoring, education, and res-
toration (Tidwell and Brunson 2008 ). Ten percent of respondents said they had
engaged previously in weed-related volunteer activities—for example, as members
of the Tucson-based Sonoran Desert Weedwackers, which conducts mechanical
control of P. ciliare and engages in education and restoration—and 43 % expressed
willingness to participate. Respondents who displayed higher knowledge about
weed impacts, weed species, and factors infl uencing weed spread were more likely
to express willingness to volunteer, especially for control activities such as hand-
pulling weeds. When asked about concern for specifi c impacts, respondents who
were willing to volunteer had slightly higher levels of concern about impacts on
wildlife and recreation, but not about impacts on native plants, crop values, wildlife
danger, or forage for livestock. Those willing to volunteer were 8 years younger on
average, but did not differ from those who were not willing in terms of gender, edu-
cation, property ownership, length of local residency, or income.
Tidwell and Brunson ( 2008 ) also asked which sorts of activities the willing-to-
volunteer group would prefer to join. Direct participation in control (57 %) and
monitoring of weed spread (55 %) were preferred activities over education (39 %)
or restoration (38 %). Different activities attracted different individuals. For exam-
ple, persons interested in control tended to be younger and quite knowledgeable;
M.W. Brunson and H. Kartchner