Interpersonal versus social‐values conflict

Abstract

This study empirically examines the theoretical distinction between interpersonal conflict and conflict in social values. Data for this investigation were obtained from surveys of visitors to Mt. Evans, Colorado. Interpersonal conflicts between hunters and nonhunters on Mt. Evans appear to have been minimized due to the mountain's natural visual barriers and the managing agency's regulations that prohibit hunting near the road where most nonhunters are found. To the extent that conflict exists with hunting associated events on Mt. Evans, much of the problem stems from differences in social values held by the hunting and nonhunting publics. Hunters and more frequent visitors experienced more interpersonal conflicts than nonhunters and less frequent visitors for nonhunting human‐wildlife interaction events. Analyses examining the interaction between type of visitor (hunters versus nonhunters) and number of prior visits (first visit, two to four visits, and five or more visits) suggested that conflicts in social values remained constant across frequency of visitation, but varied between visitor type. The implications for further empirical work and the practical management of conflict are discussed.