Conflicting Emotions, Environmental and Political Factors in Support for Local Environmental Morality Policies: Evidence From an Experiment on Wild Boars in Haifa

Abstract

Can emotional responses help explain public support for local environmental morality policies? As cities increasingly contend with complex interspecies conflicts in densely populated urban settings, understanding the drivers of policy support becomes essential. While previous research has emphasized environmental perceptions and political orientations, this study introduces a novel psychological dimension: emotional responses toward urban wildlife. Emotions are not simply background noise to be managed—they are structured, meaningful appraisals that influence how individuals interpret their surroundings and evaluate policy choices. This article examines the case of wild boars in Haifa, Israel, where municipal efforts to manage human–wildlife relations have generated prolonged tensions among residents, officials, and advocacy groups. We conducted a large-scale survey experiment in which respondents were randomly assigned to visual treatments—photographic stimuli designed to evoke specific emotions such as fear versus empathy and indifference versus curiosity. Participants then reported their level of support for two policies: the thinning of wild boars and the regulation of public feeding. Findings show that emotional responses significantly predict support for both policies, beyond the effects of political ideology and environmental concern. Moreover, certain emotional reactions can substitute for perceived ecological harm in shaping policy preferences—suggesting the presence of affective-political compensation mechanisms. This study expands existing models of environmental policy support by integrating affective cognition as a central explanatory factor. It contributes to a growing interdisciplinary literature that views local governance not merely as institutional design, but as a socio-emotional arena where competing moral, ecological, and political claims are negotiated.