https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/Head https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://www.nanopub.org/nschema#hasAssertion https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/assertion https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://www.nanopub.org/nschema#hasProvenance https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/provenance https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://www.nanopub.org/nschema#hasPublicationInfo https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/pubinfo https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type http://www.nanopub.org/nschema#Nanopublication https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/assertion https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6917-8729 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6920-3402 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9532-585X https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://purl.org/dc/terms/publisher https://ror.org/0078xmk34 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://purl.org/dc/terms/subject http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_331559 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type https://w3id.org/fair/ff/terms/article https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type https://w3id.org/fdof/ontology#FAIRDigitalObject https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#comment Wildlife conservation depends on supportive social as well as biophysical conditions. Social identities such as hunter and nonhunter are often associated with different attitudes toward wildlife. However, it is unknown whether dynamics within and among these identity groups explain how attitudes form and why they differ. To investigate how social identities help shape wildlife-related attitudes and the implications for wildlife policy and conservation, we built a structural equation model with survey data from Montana (USA) residents (n = 1758) that tested how social identities affect the relationship between experiences with grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) and attitudes toward the species. Model results (r2 = 0.51) demonstrated that the hunter identity magnified the negative effect of vicarious property damage on attitudes toward grizzly bears (β = −0.381, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.584 to −0.178, p < 0.001), which in turn strongly influenced acceptance (β = −0.571, 95% CI: −0.611 to −0.531, p < 0.001). Our findings suggested that hunters’ attitudes toward grizzly bears likely become more negative primarily because of in-group social interactions about negative experiences, and similar group dynamics may lead nonhunters to disregard the negative experiences that out-group members have with grizzly bears. Given the profound influence of social identity on human cognitions and behaviors in myriad contexts, the patterns we observed are likely important in a variety of wildlife conservation situations. To foster positive conservation outcomes and minimize polarization, management strategies should account for these identity-driven perceptions while prioritizing conflict prevention and promoting positive wildlife narratives within and among identity groups. This study illustrates the utility of social identity theory for explaining and influencing human–wildlife interactions. Major findings: This study examined how belonging to a social group—specifically identifying as a "hunter" or "nonhunter"—affects how people in Montana feel about grizzly bears. The researchers found that hunters' attitudes become much more negative when they hear stories of property damage from other hunters (their "in-group"), because people naturally trust and empathize more with members of their own group. Conversely, nonhunters are less influenced by these negative stories but tend to develop more positive feelings after having neutral or peaceful experiences with bears. The findings suggest that to protect wildlife effectively, managers must understand these social identities and work to prevent groups from becoming divided or angry with each other. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#label The influence of social identity on attitudes toward wildlife https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://schema.org/funder https://ror.org/00p954x71 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://w3id.org/fdof/ontology#hasMetadata https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#contactPoint alex.metcalf@umontana.edu https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#endDate 2024-03-03 https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#startDate 2023-08-01 https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/provenance https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/assertion http://www.w3.org/ns/prov#wasAttributedTo https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8411-2742 https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/pubinfo https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8411-2742 http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/name Emily Regalado https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://purl.org/dc/terms/created 2026-01-14T05:32:39.615Z https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8411-2742 https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://purl.org/dc/terms/license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://purl.org/nanopub/x/introduces https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.14243 https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E http://purl.org/nanopub/x/wasCreatedAt https://nanodash.knowledgepixels.com/ https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://w3id.org/np/o/ntemplate/wasCreatedFromProvenanceTemplate https://w3id.org/np/RA7lSq6MuK_TIC6JMSHvLtee3lpLoZDOqLJCLXevnrPoU https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://w3id.org/np/o/ntemplate/wasCreatedFromPubinfoTemplate https://w3id.org/np/RA0J4vUn_dekg-U1kK3AOEt02p9mT2WO03uGxLDec1jLw https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://w3id.org/np/o/ntemplate/wasCreatedFromPubinfoTemplate https://w3id.org/np/RAukAcWHRDlkqxk7H2XNSegc1WnHI569INvNr-xdptDGI https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://w3id.org/np/o/ntemplate/wasCreatedFromTemplate https://w3id.org/np/RArM5GTwgxg9qslGX-XiQ-KTTUwdoM0KB1YqmT4GqTizA https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/sig http://purl.org/nanopub/x/hasAlgorithm RSA https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/sig http://purl.org/nanopub/x/hasPublicKey MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAxzr6UBGMW6c8tegz0babaledWUEQ0PLDE4tp7Iinbe2DZtAtY5JUptKYuStWDZx+QER4808P8dejNWRnBDzgthYJm/AyNSXflHSJhz2+NC+h7RylOLxbwLEQocmyKKiYxa2gT85m6ajVL2M6TnfG67nnK+K2f7iCGL6wYXRITD1q+7+5SWqBdDXIV921W4IKWaD2GJk+NRBoOqQhbsrk8Tn5XsNd7DMYVHk47oMDGbeBnrOIoRPsbBgAcoCsxxhiB9yN6Lf8EUbnlXVEDzJuZk048L1BDZL+6nkA8btTQGP2ijUFWA7rTrod3LjUDQWLZS95njjl867dtmv/znYkzwIDAQAB https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/sig http://purl.org/nanopub/x/hasSignature f2ZCsmeCBMRMy++WNdt82ZrLK4RcyXS+ap2hTkWUIfGOm4BVcYAudc/c3ouvTRADilFrPOoVIaFd3hn35H71/btYxhHtnnA5K3FRxhQdFcAubXLBMs/oMWfK35rBRLMTWzcBPWVNP7i+QD03txloFMUtYzMM2whcLoBIBmgP2rV/I9KOmYrj+0aMcLakxLWD3JaVJU4ah5EWk5wuzFGJ5PwSmt7kbe8lkO/aavVf4cdlZlrt/OcGSE/7XC7WxMTfarm1c88Xf7Jhr0LEXAOpaz+wzJ0rjGldfbE6gCER2nieJNiNb0t31FROYFy75hw0ccJNDjYJvtSyY3oVTmr0vA== https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/sig http://purl.org/nanopub/x/hasSignatureTarget https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E https://w3id.org/np/RAPNXzzNLDABdHs8htIVbbvKzMSqVEmtS29nWSI2agW_E/sig http://purl.org/nanopub/x/signedBy https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8411-2742