Results of a ABS Public Affairs Committee Survey on Outreach Efforts by ABS Members in 1999


Designed and Compiled by Todd Blackledge, Linda Rayor,
and members of the ABS Public Affairs Committee:  Jill Mateo,
Marta Hersek, & Linden Higgins.

The ABS Outreach Survey was designed to assess the voluntary outreach efforts of the animal behavior community.   Because animal behavior is often particularly accessible and appealing to non-scientists, animal behavior serves as an important gateway for people of all ages to become involved and interested in the sciences.  For this reason, we hypothesized that outreach efforts in animal behavior and related sciences are particularly influential in drawing people toward the sciences.  Our hypothesis was that as a group of scientists and educators, members of the Animal Behavior Society make an exceptional contribution through outreach activities. 

In order to evaluate the potential impact of voluntary outreach efforts by ABS members we designed the ABS Outreach Survey to estimate how many people are reached on an annual basis, what is the range of outreach efforts, and to get an idea of the recipients of the outreach.  Our more intangible goal was to use the information obtained from the survey to help increase recognition of the Animal Behavior Society by funding agencies, particularly the National Science Foundation which is currently enhancing levels of funding for both behavioral research and outreach activities.  The ABS Outreach Survey was conducted from June - December 1999.

The ABS Outreach Survey posted on the ABS web site (http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABS/Polls) was open to all ABS members.  Participation in the Survey was requested at the 1999 Annual meeting (where a computer with the survey and  password were set up), on the ABS web page, and twice on the ABSnet.  Participation dramatically increased when it was announced that one randomly drawn participant would receive a free 1-year membership in ABS.  In total, 285 ABS members participated in the survey.

Midway through the survey, we modified two questions because of the term biology had been used rather than science, psychology, anthropology, or another related field.  Of the 285 respondents, 95 responded after these changes were made.

The Request To Participate In The Abs Outreach Survey On The Abs Web Page:

HELP ABS ASSESS THE OUTREACH EFFORTS OF OUR COMMUNITY!
 Animal behavior is an important gateway for students to become interested in the sciences, as behavior is often particularly accessible and appealing to non-scientists. Many of you participate in diverse voluntary outreach activities which enhance interest in science by students and the general public. The Animal Behavior Society is making a concerted effort to assess and increase recognition of the outreach efforts of its members. Please help us compile quantitative data by completing the (quick and painless!) survey.

The survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete and will require signing in with the ABS ID & password available to members in the latest newsletter. We are interested in hearing from EVERYONE in the Animal Behavior Society who voluntarily shares and communicates science with members of the public. Whether you have an extensive program to bring animal behavior (or related science) a large community, or only go into a couple classrooms or the local Nature Center to talk about your animals, or judge science fairs we want to hear from YOU! This survey will only be of value if a large portion of the society  provides information on their efforts.

The goal is to use the Outreach information we obtain to increase recognition of the Animal Behavior Society by funding agencies, particularly the National Science Foundation which is currently enhancing levels of funding for both behavioral research and outreach activities.  The results will be published in a future newsletter, on the ABS website, and on AbSnet.

Thank you for your contribution!

Linda S. Rayor & Todd Blackledge, and the ABS Public Affairs Committee

RESULTS OF THE SURVEY:

WHO RESPONDED: PERCENTAGE DOING OUTREACH:

Faculty: 157
Postdoctoral: 34
Graduate student: 65
Professional (Zoo, etc.): 8
Veterinary: 3
Teacher: 0
Other:19
TOTAL 285

Audiences Impacted By ABS Members*, **:

Kindergarten/ pre-school 18%
Elementary/ middle school 55%
High school 44%
Teachers/ educators 48%
Zoo, Science Center 37%
Natural History/ 53%
Environmental Organization
General public 62%