The World Archives of Species Perception (WASP) - Methodology, Database and Public Perception Research

Abstract

A critical factor influencing species conservation is how these species are perceived by the general public. We generally prefer cute, large, flu�y animals such as giant panda and tiger, or colorful and conspicuous birds like flamingoes and parrots. On the other hand, reptiles and amphibians are often negatively perceived, and few invertebrates gain public favouritism. Understanding how people perceive di�erent species help explain the underlying mechanisms of taxonomic bias in conservation, thereby supporting biodiversity conservation as a whole. Yet, current knowledge is limited to a few taxonomic groups, which makes understanding, comparing and generalizing public perception across the spectrum of life unfeasible. Here, we introduce the World Archives of Species Perception (WASP) project, including the methodology, the database and some of its applications to support future research on public perception of animals, plants and other lifeforms on earth.