The contribution of mental models to the transformation of conflicts over wildlife

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a growing threat to conservation and human well-being. It is increasingly recognized that HWC is largely human–human conflict over wildlife, which is frequently characterized by deep-rooted differences among stakeholder values, identities, cultures, and perceptions about wildlife. Such conflicts cannot be resolved in a lasting manner with superficial dispute resolution and conflict management approaches. Therefore, conflict transformation, which addresses deeper, systemic differences and causes of conflict, such as differences in cultural approaches and perceptions through iterative creative change processes, has gained increased prominence in conservation. Over the last decade, mental models—representations in people's minds of how parts of the world work—have received increasing attention in conservation, as they enable the structured elicitation and discussion of differences among stakeholder views and their underlying assumptions to enable participatory reframing. However, the potential contribution of mental models to HWC and to navigating and transforming conflicts over wildlife has received little attention. We present a framework for how mental models can be elicited and used to support the transformation of conflicts over wildlife.