Percorrer por autor "Neves, João"
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- Changing trends: beliefs and attitudes toward sharks and implications for conservationPublication . Neves, João; McGinnis, Terran; Giger, Jean-ChristopheAs history shows, and contrary to modern western society's feelings, sharks were once respected and worshipped. Sensationalized media coverage negatively impacts the public's perception of sharks and lack of information about management and conservation options negatively impacts policy makers' ability to keep shark populations healthy. Understanding that people's attitudes about sharks will influence their willingness to find a way to coexist with them, it is essential to acknowledge these attitudes when developing conservation measures. Just as risk management policies must adapt to new evidence-based information, so must shark conservation efforts adapt to the realities of public opinion. This perspective review, focused on the psychological aspects of human-shark interactions, highlights some of the current research, mostly from Australia and other countries where those interactions are more salient, on the beliefs and attitudes people have toward sharks. With this review, we hope to help policymakers and stakeholders, such as Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGOs) and the zoological community to better address some of the shark conservation challenges ahead.
- On crocodiles and turtles. Stereotypes, emotional tendencies and implications for conservationPublication . Neves, João; Giger, Jean-ChristopheEven with the increasing global threat, reptiles have not been a preferential group for animal conservation due to a set of factors affecting attitudes and emotions. This research extends the current knowledge of crocodiles and turtles to stereotypes and emotional dispositions people have. Through the Stereotype Content Model, crocodiles were found to belong to the threatening-awe stereotype, generating feelings of respect and fear but also holding our attention and admiration. This stereotype is also associated with passive facilitation and active harm. Even though participants showed mild positive attitudes toward crocodile conservation and expressed intent to help a crocodile conservation trust, crocodiles ranked last in the donation preference. Turtles, on the other hand, were found to fit the protective stereotype, represented as affectionate and competent and were viewed as belonging to the in-group. These emotions reflected the participants' predisposition for active and passive facilitation with regard to conservation attitudes and intentions.
- Predatory responses and feeding behaviour of three Elasmobranch Species in an Aquarium settingPublication . Costa, Sandra; Neves, João; Tirá, Gonçalo; Andrade, JoseMany progressive aquariums worldwide house various elasmobranch species as part of their commitment to conservation awareness and the long-term well-being of these creatures. These aquariums face the challenge of enabling these natural predators to live harmoniously with other fish without triggering natural predation. This research, conducted at Zoomarine Algarve in Southern Portugal, aimed to investigate the behaviour of three elasmobranch species (Carcharhinus melanopterus (1:1:0), Triaenodon obesus (1:0:0), and Pteroplatytrygon violacea (0:3:0)) when exposed to different feeding mechanisms. The goal was to provide them with opportunities for alternative predatory behaviours beyond their typical feeding techniques and to reduce the likelihood of natural predation. The study took place under controlled conditions within a community habitat. Four feeding methods (pole, short buoy, long buoy, and PVC) were tested during morning, afternoon, and evening periods, using five different prey species. The results shed light on which feeding method aligns best with each species’ distinct physiological standards and predatory tendencies and revealed their prey preferences. All three species interacted with all feeding methods, with P. violacea showing a strong preference for the pole method. T. obesus favoured bony fish, while C. melanopterus showed a preference for cephalopods. P. violacea interacted with all prey types but displayed no marked preference. These various feeding methods and prey options also function as environmental enrichment strategies, enhancing the complexity of the habitat and providing the animals with more choices and control, ultimately promoting their welfare in captivity.
- Psychological pathways to ocean conservation: a study of marine mammal park visitorsPublication . Neves, João; Giger, Jean-Christophe; Oliveira, João; Pacheco, Leonor; Gonçalves, Guilherme; Silva, Ana A.; Costa, InêsThis study investigated the psychological constructs related to ocean conservation among visitors to a marine mammal park in Portugal. A survey was conducted with 335 adult visitors, assessing value orientations, awareness of ocean vulnerability, attribution of responsibility, personal norms, and behavioral intentions towards ocean conservation. The results revealed two distinct attitudinal profiles among the visitors. 'Anthropocentric visitors' prioritize human interests over environmental concerns, along with heightened awareness of the ocean's vulnerability and greater ascription of responsibility to humans for environmental problems. 'Ecocentric visitors' recognize the intrinsic worth of nature, reporting deeper awareness of the consequences of environmental issues on the ocean, more robust personal norms centered on moral obligations towards conservation and higher behavioral intentions to support ocean conservation. Compared to whale-watching tourists from a previous study, the zoo visitors exhibited more polarized anthropocentric and ecocentric profiles, suggesting the whale-watching tourists fell somewhere between the two zoo visitor profiles in their psychological orientations. These contrasting profiles emphasize the heterogeneity in environmental attitudes and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to resonate with the distinct psychological motivations of different audience segments. Institutions like zoos can play a vital role in shaping public attitudes through targeted communication strategies aligned with visitors' unique value systems and beliefs.
- Social representations of sharks, perceived communality, and attitudinal and behavioral tendencies towards their conservation: an exploratory sequential mixed approachPublication . Neves, João; Giger, Jean-Christophe; Piçarra, Nuno; Alves, Vasco; Almeida, JoanaSharks are crucial to the marine ecosystem, but they are critically declining. Their bad public image explains, to some extent, the lesser concern for their conservation compared to other marine species. Extending previous research which has mainly focused on the study of attitudes towards sharks, we propose a two studies sequence, first by exploring the shark's social representation, followed by an exploration of some stereotypical traits that may affect attitudes toward shark conservation. Study 1 specifically exploreed the social representation of sharks in a sample of zoo goers (N = 979). Main results showed that the representation was ambivalent and participants considered sharks as human predators. Surprisingly, findings showed that sharks were also seen as highly agentic and little communal animals. Consequently, Study 2 (N = 60) was designed to more thoroughly explore this gendered view as well as its implications in the attitudes and behavioral intention towards shark conservation. Results showed that, although sharks were again perceived as highly agentic, it was the perception of the sharks' communality that was associated with more positive attitudes towards their conservation and a higher tendency to choose a shark conservation trust as first choice. Implications of studies 1 and 2 results for sharks' conservation communication strategies and policies are discussed.
- The social representations of Zoo Goers toward Crocodiles and Turtles: Structural analysis and implications for conservationPublication . Neves, João; Giger, Jean-Christophe; Alves, Vasco; Almeida, JoanaZoos have changed dramatically over the last century and today attract millions of people worldwide, being places where visitors can closely watch wildlife and learn about the species on display. Although present at most zoos, reptiles are challenging animals in terms of visitor interest and engagement, as some species do not fit aesthetic standards from the human standpoint, have culturally negative perceptions or generate aversive emotions. By studying zoo visitors’ social representations of crocodiles and turtles, we aimed to detail their structures, as well as identifying their prototypical elements that help to understand their emotional and cognitive framing. The findings show the crocodile’s prototypical image as a big, fearsome predator with teeth as its main physical attribute. Male visitors showed a more emotional perception of this animal. The turtle’s prototypical image is a slow, hard-shelled ancestral sea animal with a neutral-to-positive set of traits, with no particular differences between genders. Our results shed a more detailed light on some of the social constructs that make up the mental images of these animals, which can help the zoological community direct communication toward a more fluent conversation between stakeholders toward conservation.
- Transmural remission improves clinical outcomes up to 5 years in Crohn's diseasePublication . Fernandes, Samuel Raimundo; Serrazina, Juliana; Botto, Inês Ayala; Leal, Tiago; Guimarães, Andreia; Garcia, Joana Lemos; Rosa, Isadora; Prata, Rita; Carvalho, Diana; Neves, João; Campelo, Pedro; Ventura, Sofia; Silva, Andrea; Coelho, Mariana; Sequeira, Cristiana; Oliveira, Ana Paula; Portela, Francisco; Ministro, Paula; Sousa, Helena Tavares; Ramos, Jaime; Claro, Isabel; Gonçalves, Raquel; Correia, Luís Araújo; Marinho, Rui Tato; Cortez‐Pinto, Helena; Magro, FernandoIntroductionEvidence supporting transmural remission (TR) as a long-term treatment target in Crohn's disease (CD) is still unavailable. Less stringent but more reachable targets such as isolated endoscopic (IER) or radiologic remission (IRR) may also be acceptable options in the long-term. MethodsMulticenter retrospective study including 404 CD patients evaluated by magnetic resonance enterography and colonoscopy. Five-year rates of hospitalization, surgery, use of steroids, and treatment escalation were compared between patients with TR, IER, IRR, and no remission (NR). Results20.8% of CD patients presented TR, 23.3% IER, 13.6% IRR and 42.3% NR. TR was associated with lower risk of hospitalization (odds-ratio [OR] 0.244 [0.111-0.538], p < 0.001), surgery (OR 0.132 [0.030-0.585], p = 0.008), steroid use (OR 0.283 [0.159-0.505], p < 0.001), and treatment escalation (OR 0.088 [0.044-0.176], p < 0.001) compared to no NR. IRR resulted in lower risk of hospitalization (OR 0.333 [0.143-0.777], p = 0.011) and treatment escalation (OR 0.260 [0.125-0.540], p < 0.001), while IER reduced the risk of steroid use (OR 0.442 [0.262-0.745], p = 0.002) and treatment escalation (OR 0.490 [0.259-0.925], p = 0.028) compared to NR. ConclusionsTR improved clinical outcomes over 5 years of follow-up in CD patients. Distinct but significant benefits were seen with IER and IRR. This suggests that both endoscopic and radiologic remission should be part of the treatment targets of CD.