Conservation, uncertainty and intellectual humility

2023/11/09 by Sarah Michaels, Graeme Auld, Steven J. Cooke +3 · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Cambodian History and Society #Religion, Ecology, and Ethics #Social Science and Policy Research

paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s0376892923000176

openalex publication_date 2023/11/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

Summary Interventions in environmental conservation are intended to make things better, not worse. Yet unintended and unanticipated consequences plague environmental conservation; key is how uncertainty plays out. Insights from the intellectual humility literature offer constructive strategies for coming to terms with uncertainty. Strategies such as self-distancing and self-assessment of causal complexity can be incorporated into conservation decision-making processes. Including reflection on what we know and do not know in the decision-making process potentially reduces unintended and unanticipated consequences of environmental conservation and management decisions. An important caution is not to have intellectual humility legitimate failing to act in the face of uncertainty.

Citations

• Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility
• Managing Uncertainty for Preventive Conservation

Discussions

• Who knows where a collaboration will take you. When we started this project I was unfamiliar with the concept of "intellectual humility" and how it was linked to conservation. Fast forward 2 yrs and [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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• Managing Uncertainty for Preventive Conservation
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