Understanding Organizational Trust of Zoos and Aquariums
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The Science Communication Project @ISU was founded in 2010 with the goal of enhancing collaborative research on, education for, and the practice of public science communication, broadly conceived. Our biennial symposia- which include public presentations of multidisciplinary research and interactive workshops- bring together a network of scholars who share interests in public engagement of science, environmental communication, natural resource management, and agriscience. Conference proceedings showcase research, evaluations, and critiques of science communication-related practices and phenomena.
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Zoos and aquariums (ZAs) play a pivotal role in wildlife conservation, including educating the public. Nevertheless, media depictions of ZAs that emphasize animal captivity may erode public trust. We report on the first systematic survey of organizational trust in ZAs, contrasting how people perceive the current performance of ZAs against people’s expectations for establishing trust. The largest disparities between perceptions and expectations were for items that assessed the ethical integrity of ZAs: how well they maintain and communicate about animal welfare. ZAs can fully earn public trust by adjusting their practices and/or their messaging related to ethical integrity.
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Several of my co-authors have multiple affiliations. I hope that I formatted those correctly