Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Wildlife Biology

Department or School/College

W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Committee Chair

Alexander L. Metcalf

Commitee Members

Dr. Sarah N. Sells, Dr. Justin W. Angle

Keywords

social identity, conspiracy theory, literature review, human dimensions of wildlife

Abstract

Wildlife conservation operates at an intersection of ecological and social dynamics, and its outcomes depend as much on how people relate to one another as on how they relate to wildlife. In this thesis, I examine the role of social identity in shaping human-wildlife relationships. Across two chapters, I argue that social identity is an active force structuring the beliefs, behaviors, and institutional relationships of people who share landscapes with wildlife and that many opportunities remain to engage with it in wildlife contexts.

In chapter one, I present a systematic scoping review of how social identity theory has been applied in the human dimensions of wildlife literature. Drawing on 99 peer-reviewed articles, I characterize the geographic, taxonomic, and conceptual trends in existing research. Findings suggest that applications of social identity theory in wildlife research have been narrow in scope. Specifically, they have been: concentrated within the United States, focused predominantly on large carnivores and game mammals, and oriented almost exclusively around intergroup conflict. The vast majority of social identity constructs developed in social psychology remain largely unengaged by wildlife researchers. Drawing on the broader literature, I identify unexplored opportunities and suggest concrete directions for integrating social identity perspectives more fully into human dimensions of wildlife research and practice.

In chapter two, I empirically apply social identity theory to examine the psychological roots of wildlife-associated conspiracy beliefs. Drawing on relative deprivation and social identity theories, I ask whether the perception that one’s group is unfairly disadvantaged in wildlife management relates to endorsement of wildlife conspiracy theories and reduced institutional trust and satisfaction. Using an online survey of 986 hunters and wildlife advocates, I found that perceived group deprivation consistently and strongly predicted a generalized wildlife conspiracy mindset and lower trust in and satisfaction with state wildlife management agencies. For specific conspiracy theories, perceived deprivation led to directionally opposite beliefs depending on whether the theory implicated ingroup or outgroup actors.

Across these chapters, I advance our understanding of how social identity shapes wildlife governance and human-wildlife relationships, and offer practical implications for wildlife agencies, researchers, and practitioners working in polarized conservation landscapes.

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