SocArXiv Preprint
Our lab has found that long-distance friendships can support contribution to natural resource management on coastal Tanzania (Smith et al. Conservation Letters). However, people don’t always have the time, money, or ability to form long-distance relationships, even if they’re motivated to. What about that motivation – is being motivated to form long-distance relationships, even in their absence, predictive of participating in natural resource management that benefits multiple communities?
We find that it is: independent of having long-distance relationships, participants on coastal Tanzania with more “long-distance orientation” (LDO) are more likely to participate in fisheries management. What’s more, in a US sample, we find that LDO is not the same as being Open or Extraverted. We discuss the implications of these findings and next steps for validating LDO for use in Tanzania and elsewhere.