Despite numerous warnings, people still approach wildlife in national parks, putting themselves and the animals at risk.
In August 2023, a video of a mother bear and her two little cubs at Yellowstone National Park went viral. The clip didn’t circulate the web because of the precious baby bears. Instead, it went viral because of how the
It is extremely dangerous to approach a mother bear with her cubs, which is why some researchers are starting to question if and why we have lost our fear of dangerous animals or situations.Psychologist Katherine Kortenkamp was at Yellowstone when another visitor prompted an idea for a study. Participants rated the likelihood of getting hurt in outdoor situations, and they also answered questions that allowed the researchers to measure their risk attitudes and self-exempting beliefs.
When it comes to self-exempting beliefs and dangerous animals, Kortenkamp says national parks put up warnings about not getting too close to wildlife. Yet, people try to cozy up to a bison for a selfie as if those rules are meant for other people.There are multiple reasons why people develop self-exempting beliefs. Kortenkamp says familiarity and experience can play a role.
In their study, Kortenkamp says they measured how participants felt an action was worth the risk. “People will say, ‘I don’t think the risk is that high, getting a thrill is worth the risk,” Kortenkamp says.
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