Influence of conservation messages and psychological factors on non-native plants removal behaviors

Influence of conservation messages and psychological factors on non-native plants removal behaviors | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Influence of conservation messages and psychological factors on non-native plants removal behaviors Satomi Mitsui, Tadashi Uno, Masahiro Horiuchi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study demonstrated the differences in behavioral changes caused by the two types of conservation messages through the field experiments at Mt. Fuji, Japan. The target behavior was to use a cleaning mat set up on a mountain trail to remove non-native plant seeds from the soles of visitors’ shoes. To further understand the context of behavioral change, a questionnaire survey was used to examine the influence of different conservation messages and psychological and personal factors, including awe. Knowledge linked to behavior and a sense of perceived behavioral control promoted behavior, whereas positive attitudes toward behavior and higher awe had a negative impact on behavior. Conservation messages interact with norms, and effective message-promoting behavior differs depending on the norm level. Conservation messages should be selected based on the characteristics of the target segmentation. Even short conservation messages, such as signboards, can enhance the effectiveness of behavioral change, and it is valuable to think strategically about message content. Behavior change invasive species pro-environmental behavior science communication World Heritage Mt. Fuji Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Introduction Conservation messages are expected to inspire pro-environmental behavior (Kidd et al. 2019 ; Kusmanoff et al. 2020 ). Especially in national parks, where visitors are required to follow rules and manners for sustainable tourism, it is important to understand the factors that influence their behavior and design effective conservation messages (Abrams et al. 2020 ; Leung et al. 2018 ; Wallen and Kyle 2018 ). Many national parks have attempted to send conservation messages to visitors through lectures, flyers, websites, social media, and signboards (Leung et al. 2018 ; Marion and Reid 2007 ). Signboards are often used to spread awareness in national parks, where radio reception and accessibility are often poor. However, we can often see signboards with messages that have not been sufficiently considered or signboards that traditionally use the same message. Therefore, there is room for improvement in communicating effectively using signboards. This study aimed to assess the impact of conservation messages on the behavior of protected area visitors and contribute to the mainstreaming of evidence-based interventions to present effective conservation messages. One of the pro-environmental behaviors required by visitors in national parks is to prevent the introduction of non-native plants, and effective communication to ensure cooperative behaviors has become a major concern (Ansong and Pickering 2015 ). In protected areas frequented by many visitors, there is a high risk of invasion and the spread of non-native plant seeds through the soles of shoes (Anderson et al. 2015 ; Pickering and Mount 2010 ). When non-native plants invade and spread in national parks, it becomes difficult to eradicate them and change the ecosystem and landscape (Foxcroft et al. 2017 ). To prevent the emergence of seeds from non-native plants, it is important to encourage visitors to clean their shoes before coming to protected areas (Pickering and Mount 2010 ). Waterfront measures at national park entrances include installing cleaning mats and signboards with conservation messages that encourage the removal of non-native plant seeds. In Japan, national parks are popular tourist destinations and Mt. Fuji attracts many visitors. Mt. Fuji was designated as a national park in 1936 as part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and in 2013, the area surrounding it was designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Over 200,000 climbers have visited Mt. Fuji during the September of the climbing season annually for the past 10 years, except during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020–2022 (Ministry of the Environment 2023). Therefore, there is a considerably high risk of invasion and the spread of non-native plants. In particular, the area above the fifth station of Mt. Fuji is a specially protected area that requires measures to ensure not only nature but also the beauty and sacredness of World Cultural Heritage values remain intact. Therefore, measures to control invasive non-native plants are required, and since 2020, Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the administrations that manages Mt. Fuji, has installed cleaning mats to remove seeds of non-native plants from visitors' shoes at the trail entrances at the fifth station (Fig. 1 ). Along with cleaning mats, signboards were installed to encourage their use. It is desirable for signboards to present conservation messages that are highly effective in encouraging action, but at present, it is unclear what factors influence behavior and what kinds of messages are effective, and scientific data are needed to provide a basis for decisions. Some studies have focused on the behavior of using cleaning mats to remove non-native plants and understand the factors that influence this behavior. Gill et al. ( 2020 ) surveyed 116 visitors at a national park in Australia. The results showed that although about half of the respondents had a positive attitude that shoe cleaning behavior had the advantage of preventing the spread of plant seeds, only about 14% actually cleaned their shoes before entering the park. Studies related to cleaning mat behavior have also been conducted (Nishizawa et al. 2023 , 2021 ). They noted that knowledge and risk perception of non-native plant problems were not linked to the actual behavior of cleaning shoes before visiting the park. Furthermore, although they did not identify significant differences between factual and procedural knowledge in the content of signs at trail entrances, nudges were effective in directing visitors to a cleaning mat, and suggested the effectiveness of a combination of nudges and procedural knowledge in the behavior of using a cleaning mat. While these studies examined attitudes toward the behavior, knowledge, and perceived risk of non-native plants as psychological and personal factors affecting visitors' use of cleaning mats, it is still unclear what factors influence their behavior. To increase the effectiveness of conservation messages on signboards that encourage visitors to use cleaning mats, it is desirable to design conservation messages based on an understanding of the factors affecting visitors’ behavior when using cleaning mats. This study demonstrated through a field experiment whether conservation messages on signboards affect the actual behavior of using a cleaning mat to prevent the transmission of seeds of non-native plants at Mt. Fuji in Japan. We then attempted to determine how differences in conservation messages caused behavioral changes. Thus, using a questionnaire survey, we sought to identify the psychological and personal factors that influence cleaning mat use behavior and the effect of conservation messages on behavior and these factors. We then recommend the use of desirable conservation messages. Design of conservation messages The importance of framing conservation messages has been pointed out to promote pro-environmental behavior (Cheng et al. 2011 ; Kusmanoff et al. 2020 ). Message framing can be broadly divided into emotional and rational framing (Li et al. 2023 ). There are also case studies on the framing of conservation messages, for example, some related to the control of non-native species (Shaw et al. 2021 ; Wallen and Kyle 2018 ). Wallen and Kyle ( 2018 ) compared the effects of four short messages that fall under rational framing (standard, regulation, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms) on past behavior or behavioral intentions related to non-native aquatic species management. Although no differences were observed among the four messages regarding past behavior, they found that the regulation message was effective in influencing future behavioral intentions among those who were highly aware of behavioral barriers (Wallen and Kyle 2018 ). However, because it targets self-reported past behaviors and future behavioral intentions, its validity for actual behavior is unknown. Shaw et al. ( 2021 ) focused on metaphors as emotional framing, presented five different illustrations and messages on Facebook, and evaluated the differences in each behavior, such as click cost, comment posting, and sharing. As a result, they stated that appeals comparing invasive species to hitchhikers were more likely to cause behavior change than appeals based on scientific information, but there is no universally effective message and that it is necessary to select messages that match personal factors or purpose of communication. However, the effects of illustrations and text could not be separated in their study (Shaw et al. 2021 ), and the effects of each design required continued verification. Regarding Mt. Fuji, the conservation messages used in this study were “Let's protect Mt. Fuji” (Sign A) as the control and “Don’t bring non-native plants” (Sign B) as the treatment (Fig. 2 ). Since 2016, sign A has been used in Shizuoka Prefecture, and one of the administrations that manages Mt. Fuji, Yamanashi Prefecture, took it over and used it in 2020 when cleaning mats were installed. The message of Sign A exhibits a positive tone and is intended to evoke positive feelings about people's attitudes and actions and to encourage empathy. In contrast, the message of sign B is presented as a rational framing that focuses on the output of the behavior, not on its outcome, and is supposed to lead to an understanding of the procedures of the behavior. The figure design of the signboard was also modified so that the visibility of the message would not be compromised and the difference between the messages would be clear. However, the size and color of the signs could not be changed because of park management restrictions. Behavioral surveys and questionnaires were used to determine the effects of these two types of conservation messages on the behavior and determinants of cleaning mats at Mt. Fuji. Factors influencing cleaning mat usage behavior In this study, as factors influenced the behaviors, we assumed Attitudes , Norms , and Perceived behavioral control based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen 1991 ), which has been used in previous studies on pro-environmental behavior (Yuriev et al. 2020 ). Risk perception and Knowledge about behavior were also set as factors, with reference to previous studies on invasive species (Nguyen et al. 2020 ; Nishizawa et al. 2021 ; Witzling et al. 2015 ). Another feature of this study is the assessment of the influence of the concept of Awe on behavior. Awe is an emotion toward objects with vastness and accommodation that can have the power to change people's lives, goals, and values (Keltner and Haidt 2003 ). Previous studies have indicated that awe can occur during outdoor adventure, nature-based tourism, and religious tourism, such as visits to sacred mountains (Coghlan et al. 2012 ; Lu et al. 2017 ; Pearce et al. 2017 ). In addition, recent studies suggest that the intensity of awe positively influences the intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior using evaluation factors such as the beauty and grandeur of nature felt during tourism experiences, emotional movements of being exposed to religious beliefs, and the experience of feeling a perception of a small self (Wang and Lyu 2019 ; Yan and Jia 2021 ; Yang et al. 2018 ). Mt. Fuji is a symbolic entity that has long been held in awe by the Japanese people. It has been designated a World Cultural Heritage Site in recognition of its history as an object of faith and its value as a source of art because of its beauty. We hypothesized that awe toward Mt. Fuji would positively influence visitor behavior when using a cleaning mat to remove non-native plants. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the influence of six factors (i.e., Awe, Attitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control, Risk perception , and Knowledge) on mat use behavior, as well as the interaction between the two types of conservation messages (signs A and B in Fig. 2 ) and the six factors. Methods Study site The survey was conducted at the fifth station entrance of the Yoshida Trail, located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which is the most heavily used trail on Mt. Fuji. In 2021, when the survey was conducted, travel for foreigners was restricted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and visitors were limited to Japanese residents. Although the number of visitors decreased considerably, 54,392 climbers visited the fifth station on Mt. Fuji during the climbing season from July to September (Ministry of the Environment 2023). Cleaning mats and signs to prevent the invasion of non-native plants were installed during the climbing season. The fifth station of the Yoshida trial is located at an altitude of 2,305 m, close to the forest limit. A wide trail was established, and the trail surface was bare ground consisting mainly of scoria. Alpine plants can be seen along the trails, and as reported by Konno et al. ( 2015 ), domestic non-native plants such as mugwort ( Artemisia indica ) and plantains ( Plantago asiatic ) were found in high-altitude areas, making this area the front line of non-native plant invasion. Survey design and data collection During the 2021 climbing season, signboards A and B were posted daily to visitors at the entrance of the Yoshida Trail Fifth Station on Mt. Fuji. The signs were posted for 19 days between July and September 2021, with sign A posted for 10 days and sign B posted for nine days. On the day of the survey, we conducted a behavioral survey by recording a video and a questionnaire survey by handing out a QR code, including the questionnaire items. These surveys were conducted between 10:00 and 14:00, according to bus arrival times. For the behavioral survey, we counted the number of visitors who used the mats and those who did not by visually checking the recorded video. The survey subjects were limited to individual visitors, excluding guided visitors, to eliminate the influence of the direct instructions given by the mountain guides. A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate psychological factors influencing mat-use behavior. Individual visitors were given a QR code and were asked to complete the questionnaire using Google Forms on the website by the end of September 2021. Two types of QR codes were prepared: mat users and non-users. This was done to link questionnaire responses to mat-use behavior. After a researcher visually confirmed whether a tourist had used the mat, the QR code corresponding to the behavior was distributed. This was done to avoid false reports in the self-reports on whether a cleaning mat was used. The questionnaires presented in the two QR codes were identical. The total distribution was aimed at over 2,070 people: over 500 users and 500 non-users of cleaning mats when Sign A was posted and in the same way as for sign B. This number of distributions was calculated using 150,000 climbers in the Yoshida trial in 2019 with a 5% margin of error, a 95% confidence level, and a collection rate of 18.5%. This collection rate was based on the results of a QR code-based survey conducted in 2018 at the fifth station on the Yoshida Trail on Mt. Fuji (Fujino 2018 ). The video-based behavioral survey and the questionnaire survey were conducted with the approval of the Research Ethics Committee for Human Subjects of the Mount Fuji Research Institute (approval number: ECMFRI-02-2020). Contents of the questionnaire The questionnaire comprised questions regarding control variables and psychological and personal factors. The control variables included mountain-climbing experience, number of visits to Mt. Fuji, and age and sex. We hypothesized the following six personal psychological factors: Awe, Attitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control, Risk perception , and Knowledge . Multiple questions were asked about each factor. In the statistical analysis, after confirming the Cronbach's alpha value, the average value of these questions was used as a representative value for each factor. Responses to all questions, except knowledge were measured on a five-point scale from 1 (Totally disagree) to 5 (Totally agree).” The details of the questions are listed in Table 1 . Awe The question on awe was based on previous studies (Yan & Jia 2021 , Wang & Lyu 2019 ) and the value of Mt. Fuji as a World Cultural Heritage Site, sacred place, and source of artistic inspiration. In particular, we asked nine questions based on the sacredness, beauty, and perception of nature they felt when they visited the fifth station on Mt. Fuji. The Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.79. Attitudes It was assumed that people with positive thoughts about a particular behavior are more likely to have behavioral intentions and, thus, are more likely to act (Ajzen 1991 ). Here, to assess an individual's positive or negative thoughts of the behavior of using the cleaning mat, we asked three questions, concerning the perceived importance, effectiveness, and their agreement to the behavior. (α = 0.78). Norms Norms were measured using four questions regarding subjective and descriptive norms (Ham et al. 2015 ; Rivis and Sheeran 2003 ). The subjective norms determined whether people nearby felt the expectation or pressure to use a cleaning mat, whereas the descriptive norms asked about perceptions of how common the act of using a cleaning mat was. For subjective norms, we asked two questions to determine whether visitors felt any expectation or pressure from others close to them to use the cleaning mat. For descriptive norms, we asked how common the behavior of using a cleaning mat was. The Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.65. Perceived behavioral control Perceived behavioral control refers to the influence of perceived regulatory factors that make particular behaviors difficult or easy to act upon (Ajzen 2002 ). We addressed the time and psychological costs of using a cleaning mat (Lubeck et al. 2019 ; Niemiec et al. 2017 ). The survey asked the three questions regarding this aspect (α = 0.62). Risk perception Regarding risk perception, we asked three questions (Table 1 ) based on past studies (Ansong and Pickering 2015 ; Kueffer et al. 2013 ; Nguyen et al. 2020 ). In the analysis, the scale of responses to two of the three questions was reversed. Since Cronbach's alpha was low at 0.27, these three questions were not combined into one factor, but were used individually as explanatory variables. Knowledge Regarding knowledge of cleaning mat behavior, the respondents were asked whether they knew that the mat was installed to prevent non-native plants. This question focuses on knowledge related to the outputs of mat usage behavior, as it suggests that knowledge linked to behavior may be more important than the general knowledge of non-native plants (Daab and Flint 2010 ; Nishizawa et al. 2021 ). The responses to this question were divided into two dummy variables for analysis, depending on whether knowledge was obtained. The first dummy variable was set to 1 if a respondent had knowledge before visiting the trial and 0 otherwise. The other dummy variable was set to 1 if knowledge was gained by Sign A or B at the trial and 0 otherwise. Statistics In the analysis, the use of a cleaning mat was used as an objective variable. Dummy variable was set to 1 if the mat was used before entering the trial and 0 if the mat was not used. Mat-use behavior was checked visually and linked to the questionnaire survey results. For the explanatory variables, Attitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control , and Awe , Cronbach's alpha score was at least 0.6; therefore, the average value of the relevant questions was treated as an index for each factor. For Risk perception , each of the three questions was treated as an explanatory variable. For the Knowledge , it was set as a dummy variable. Furthermore, we included a dummy variable, where 0 means Sign A and 1 means Sign B, representing the difference in conservation messages, and also included interaction terms between the Sign dummy variable and the explanatory variables into the regression equation. In the analysis, four control variables were included: age, sex, visit frequency to Mt. Fuji, and climbing experience. Logistic regression analysis was performed on all variables, including explanatory variables with interaction terms with signs and control variables. The correlation coefficients among the explanatory variables were less than 0.6 and the Generalized Variance Inflation factor was less than 3. A stepwise method was then applied to obtain the model with the lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). R software version 3.6.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used for the analysis. Logistic regression results were illustrated using effect plots in R in the effects package. Table 1 Questionnaire items applied to explanatory variables and results of descriptive statistics Explanatory variables Questions Mean Standard Deviation α Awe I think Mt. Fuji is a sacred place. 4.44 0.89 0.79 The fifth station of Mt. Fuji feels less sacred than I expected. * 2.94 1.18 When I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt that Mt. Fuji was beautiful. 4.44 0.80 The fifth station of Mt. Fuji is not as beautiful as I expected. * 3.52 1.04 When I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt the power of nature. 4.56 0.74 The fifth station of Mt. Fuji is a place where nature has been touched by humans more than I expected. * 2.35 1.11 When I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt like I was a part of nature. 3.86 1.12 When I visited Mt. Fuji's fifth station, I felt the history of faith in Mt. Fuji. 3.69 1.11 When I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt like I had been purified. 3.52 1.21 Attitudes It is important to use the cleaning mat to prevent the spread of non-native plants. 4.67 0.64 0.78 Using the cleaning mat is effective in preventing the spread of non-native plants. 3.99 0.98 I agree with using the cleaning mat before entering the trail. 4.64 0.70 Norms the subjective norms Other visitors around me seemed to think that I should use a cleaning mat. 2.57 1.22 0.65 The guides and staff at Mt. Fuji seemed to think that I should use a cleaning mat. 3.27 1.35 the descriptive norms I think it is normal to use a cleaning mat before entering a trail. 4.51 0.79 Using a cleaning mat before entering a trail is a manner that everyone should follow. 4.41 0.91 Perceived behavioral control I have time to use the cleaning mat before entering the trail. 4.54 0.77 0.62 If another tourist is using the cleaning mat, I can wait until the mat is available. 4.05 1.14 It's easy to remove non-native plants from my shoes with the cleaning mat. 3.96 1.13 Risk perception (Each item was used as a variable) 1 I don’t think it is necessary to take measures against the invasion of non-native plants. * 4.01 1. 43 0.27 2 I think the invasion of non-native plants will damage the landscape at Mt. Fuji. 4.10 1. 09 3 I don't think I would bring non-native plants into this area. * 3.63 1.24 Knowledge dummy 1 1 indicates “I have had knowledge before I came to the trail entrance.”, 0 indicates except 1 0.18 0.39 dummy 2 1 indicates “I got knowledge from sign.”, 0 indicates except 1 0.45 0.50 * indicates reverse questions. The Likert scale was reversed to calculate the mean and Standard Deviation. Figure 3. Cleaning mat usage rate for each sign Discussion It is crucial to verify the effectiveness of conservation messages and implement them strategically (Kidd et al. 2019 ; Schwartz et al. 2018 ; Walsh 2021 ). This study evaluated the effects of differences in conservation messages on the actual behavior of two types of signboards using an example of behavior in using control mats for the invasion of non-native plants at Mt. Fuji. The results showed that changing the conservation message clearly impacted people's behavior (Fig. 3). In other words, even short conservation messages, such as signboards, can enhance the effectiveness of behavioral change, and it is valuable to think strategically about message content. In addition, to understand the context in which behavioral changes occurred, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the effects of conservation messages on the behavioral and psychological factors that influence behavior. As a result, not all the factors examined had a positive effect on behavior (Table 3 ). First, we found that important factors promoting behavior in using cleaning mats were the Knowledge of behavior in which the mats were installed to prevent the invasion of non-native plants and a high awareness of Perceived behavioral control (Table 3 ). Previous studies (Daab and Flint 2010 ; Nishizawa et al. 2021 ) have indicated that knowledge of invasive plants, such as word meanings or ecological impacts, has a lesser association with control behavior. However, the present study showed that knowledge that clearly links action and purposes, meaning that the use of a cleaning mat contributes to the control of invasive plants, significantly promotes behavior. This provides an important perspective for the development of future communication strategies. The importance of communication strategies that emphasize the link between basic knowledge of invasive plants and appropriate control actions has been previously suggested (Ansong and Pickering 2015 ; Nishizawa et al. 2021 ), which further supports this perspective with analytical results. Regarding Perceived behavioral control , those who did not feel the time loss or mental burden of using mats were more likely to take action. In this study, signs and mats were placed at the trail entrance. However, in the future, there may be room to consider measures to set them at bus waiting areas and other locations where people are less likely to feel burdened. Second, interaction effects were identified between Signs and Norms , and the influence of norms on behavior varied depending on the differences in signs (Fig. 4 ). Regarding Mt. Fuji, it is thought that sign B would more effectively encourage the use of a cleaning mat, given the large number of highly norm-conscious visitors. During the actual monitoring, the usage rate of the cleaning mat was significantly higher for sign B than for sign A (Fig. 3). Third, the results of our analysis showed that the intensity of a positive attitude toward the behavior and awe negatively influenced the behavior of using a cleaning mat. A previous study on activities for non-native species control showed that attitude toward behavioral intention was the weakest predictor, suggesting that it may be easily influenced by factors such as knowledge, medias, and interpersonal communication (Witzling et al. 2015 ). In addition, there may be a difference between behavioral intentions and actual behavior in the influence of attitude. Positive attitudes toward behavior are not necessarily considered to be conducive to behavior. Although many visitors to Mt. Fuji had a positive attitude toward activities to prevent non-native plants, the use rate of cleaning mats was approximately 30% on average, which is not high overall. It is possible that numerous visitors were drawn into a situation in which approximately 70% of the surrounding visitors were not using it, resulting in negative effects. When investigating the influence of these factors on actual behavior, it is necessary to consider the behavior and communication of the people around a subject. Moreover, visitors with higher awe were less likely to use a cleaning mat. This was contrary to our expectations and the results of previous studies that stated that awe promotes pro-environmental behavior (Wang and Lyu 2019 ; Yan and Jia 2021 ; Yang et al. 2018 ). Connecting the values of Mt. Fuji, such as faith and art, to conservation activities in the natural environment may not be common. Further studies are warranted. Additionally, other limitation on this study is described. We conducted a quasi-experiment in the field to verify the effectiveness of conservation messages. Although we tried to increase the reliability of the monitoring survey by securing many people, it must be noted that the survey conditions included uncertain factors, such as differences in weather, crowding, and the behavior of people around targets, which may introduce bias into the survey conditions. However, we believe that the verification of effectiveness in the actual field is meaningful because, although it involves an element of uncertainty in considering the factors behind the event, it can actually produce certain results in showing signs that more effectively bring about behavior change and can be returned to the field. Finally, the communication of conservation messages through signs has been used in various settings as an approach to spread awareness that encourages pro-environmental behavior. This study argues for the need to examine the effectiveness of conservation messages and change them to appropriate messages to promote behavioral change more effectively. Results Behavioral survey During the survey, 6,742 individual visitors, excluding guided tour groups, visited the fifth station entrance on Yoshida Trail. Counting the number of individual visitors using the cleaning mat from the video footage, 924 out of 4220 visitors (21.9%) used mats when sign A was displayed, and 922 out of 2522 visitors (36.6%) used mats when sign B was displayed (Fig. 3). We conducted a Chi-square test, and the results revealed significant differences among conditions (χ 2 = 170.68, df = 1, p < .001). Characteristics of the Respondents We distributed a QR code to 2,254 visitors, of which 1,040 visitors (mat user = 540 and non-users = 500) received it when sign A was displayed and 1,214 visitors (mat users = 500 and non-users = 714) received it when sign B was displayed. A total of 337 responses were collected and analyzed (valid responses = 15.0%). Of these, responses were received from 172 people (87 mat users and 85 non-users) when sign A was displayed and 165 people (mat users = 101 and non-users = 64) when sign B was displayed. Table 2 presents the results of the personal attributes used as control variables in the statistical analysis. Of the 337 responses, 192 were male, 139 were female, and 6 did not specify their gender. Regarding age groups, most respondents were in their 50s and 40s (59.3%), followed by those in their 20s and 30s (28.5%). Regarding the number of visits to Mt. Fuji, first-time visitors are the most frequent (33.2%), followed by frequent visitors (28.8%) who have visited Mt. Fuji five or more times. Climbing experience was described on an ordinal scale of 1 to 3, with the largest number of respondents answering 1, indicating below 3 years of climbing; for the 11 respondents who did not answer the question, the median value of 2, indicating 3–10 years of climbing experience, was assigned. Table 2 Individual attributes and the use of mats per sign Sign A Sign B Total Unused Used Unused Used N = 337 Age-group 10 1 0 0 0 1 20 8 21 10 17 56 30 10 14 7 9 40 40 17 24 14 30 85 50 35 22 23 35 115 60 9 5 9 8 31 70 5 1 1 2 9 Sex Male 45 49 37 61 192 Female 38 38 24 39 139 Others 2 0 3 1 6 Visit frequency to Mt. Fuji 1 27 38 15 32 112 2 16 16 15 17 64 3 7 11 7 16 41 4 6 6 6 5 23 > 5 29 16 21 31 97 Climbing experience 1 (0 ~ 3 years) 29 41 22 30 122 2 (3 ~ 10 years) 18 30 27 43 118 3 (over 10 years) 37 15 13 21 86 NA* 1 1 2 7 11 * NA, not applicable. The missing value was assigned 2 which is the median of the responses obtained. Characteristics of the explanatory variables Regarding the perception of awe as a heritage value (Table 1 ), most respondents perceived beauty and sacredness; however, the distribution changed when the questions were confirmed by negatively changing the way they were asked, with an increase in the number of respondents who rated the values in the middle and a larger standard deviation. In particular, although many respondents said they felt the power and sacredness of nature, they said that nature was more human-influenced than they expected and that they felt less sacred than they expected. All six questions on Attitudes and Perceived behavioral control had a mean score above 4.0 on a 5-point scale (Table 1 ). Therefore, many respondents held a positive attitude toward the behavior, and they did not find it difficult to use the cleaning mat. Regarding Norms , the subjective norms, which express the expectation of others to perform a behavior, averaged around 3, whereas the descriptive norms, which state that the use of a cleaning mat is a general behavior, averaged 4 or higher. Although the risk perception was generally high, many respondents were unsure about the possibility of them bringing in non-native plants. Regarding knowledge of behavior, 63% of the respondents were aware of the purpose of installing the mat to prevent non-native species from using it. Statistics analysis results Logistic regression analysis was first performed with all variables, including interactions. Subsequently, variables were selected using the backward stepwise method to obtain the model with the lowest AIC. The explanatory variables selected were Attitudes , Norms , Perceived behavioral control , Knowledge1, 2 , Awe , Risk perception 1 , and Signs (Table 3 ). As for control variables, age, visit frequency to Mt. Fuji, and climbing experience were selected. Perceived behavioral control, Knowledge 1 (Having knowledge before), and especially Knowledge 2 (Gain knowledge from sign) had a positive influence on behavior (Fig. 4 ). In contrast, the intensity of awe and positive attitudes toward behavior negatively influenced mat-use behavior (Fig. 4 ). Interactions were identified between Norms and Signs . People with high norm consciousness are more likely to be encouraged to use a mat if Sign B is posted. It was suggested that sign A encourages the behavior of visitors with a low sense of norms. Table 3 Results of regression analysis after variable selection Variable log (OR) 1 OR 1 95% CI 1 p-value Age -0.26 0.77 0.57–1.02 0.075 Visit frequency to Mt. Fuji -0.24 0.78 0.59–1.04 0.093 Climbing experience -0.22 0.81 0.60–1.08 0.2 Attitudes -0.41 0.66 0.46–0.94 0.024 Perceived behavioral control 0.43 1.53 1.11–2.14 0.011 Risk perception 1 0.26 1.30 0.99–1.70 0.058 Awe -0.42 0.66 0.49–0.87 0.003 Knowledge 1 (dummy 1) 1.4 4.21 2.04–8.97 < 0.001 Knowledge 2 (dummy 2) 2.3 10.4 5.66–19.8 < 0.001 Norms 0.12 1.13 0.76–1.71 0.5 Sign B 0.38 1.46 0.86–2.49 0.2 Sign B * norm 0.56 1.76 1.04–3.02 0.038 1 OR = Odds Ratio, CI = Confidence Interval Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest related with this study. Funding This study was supported by Yamanashi prefecture. Author Contribution SM, TU, and MH conceptualized and designed the study and collected the data. SM analyzed the data, interpreted the results, and wrote the first manuscript. SM, TU, and MH revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgement We would like to thank all the participants who responded to our survey. 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Cognition and Emotion 17, 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297 Kidd, L.R., Garrard, G.E., Bekessy, S.A., Mills, M., Camilleri, A.R., Fidler, F., Fielding, K.S., Gordon, A., Gregg, E.A., Kusmanoff, A.M., Louis, W., Moon, K., Robinson, J.A., Selinske, M.J., Shanahan, D., Adams, V.M., 2019. Messaging matters: A systematic review of the conservation messaging literature. Biological Conservation 236, 92–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.05.020 Konno, Y., Yamamura, Y., Nakano, T., Yasuda, T., 2015. Invasion of alien plants into roadside vegetation with altitude on Mt. Fuji. Mount Fuji Research, 9, 7-16. Kueffer, C., McDougall, K., Alexander, J., Daehler, C., Edwards, P., Haider, S., Milbau, A., Parks, C., Pauchard, A., Reshi, Z.A., 2013. Plant invasions into mountain protected areas: assessment, prevention and control at multiple spatial scales, in: Plant Invasions in Protected Areas. Springer, pp. 89–113. Kusmanoff, A.M., Fidler, F., Gordon, A., Garrard, G.E., Bekessy, S.A., 2020. Five lessons to guide more effective biodiversity conservation message framing. Conservation Biology 34, 1131–1141. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13482 Leung, Y.-F., Spenceley, A., Hvenegaard, G., Buckley, R., Groves, C., 2018. Tourism and visitor management in protected areas: Guidelines for sustainability. IUCN Gland, Switzerland. Li, Q., MacGougan, S., Vernier, B., 2023. Biodiversity Conservation Messaging. Lu, D., Liu, Y., Lai, I., Yang, L., 2017. Awe: An important emotional experience in sustainable tourism. Sustainability 9, 2189. Lubeck, A.A., Metcalf, A.L., Beckman, C.L., Yung, L., Angle, J.W., 2019. Collective factors drive individual invasive species control behaviors. Ecology and Society 24. Marion, J.L., Reid, S.E., 2007. Minimising Visitor Impacts to Protected Areas: The Efficacy of Low Impact Education Programmes. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 15, 5–27. https://doi.org/10.2167/jost593.0 Ministry of the Environment, 2024, February 15. Regarding the number of climbers of Mt. Fuji in the summer of 2023. https://www.env.go.jp/park/fujihakone/data/files/fujihakone_shosai_R5.pdf Nguyen, N.-A., Eskelson, B.N., Meitner, M.J., Murray, T., 2020. People’s Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Invasive Plants in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Environmental Management 66, 985–996. Niemiec, R.M., Ardoin, N.M., Wharton, C.B., Brewer, F.K., 2017. Civic and natural place attachment as correlates of resident invasive species control behavior in Hawaii. Biological Conservation 209, 415–422. Nishizawa, F., Kubo, T., Akasaka, M., 2023. Behavioral interventions to reduce unintentional non-native plants introduction: Personal factors matter. Biological Conservation 284, 110139. Nishizawa, F., Kubo, T., Koyama, A., Akasaka, M., 2021. Disconnection between conservation awareness and outcome: Identifying a bottleneck on non-native species introduction via footwear. Journal of Environmental Management 298, 113439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113439 Pearce, J., Strickland-Munro, J., Moore, S.A., 2017. What fosters awe-inspiring experiences in nature-based tourism destinations? Journal of Sustainable Tourism 25, 362–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2016.1213270 Pickering, C., Mount, A., 2010. Do tourists disperse weed seed? A global review of unintentional human-mediated terrestrial seed dispersal on clothing, vehicles and horses. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 18, 239–256. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580903406613 Rivis, A., Sheeran, P., 2003. Descriptive norms as an additional predictor in the theory of planned behaviour: A meta-analysis. Current psychology 22, 218–233. Schwartz, F., Taff, B.D., Lawhon, B., VanderWoude, D., 2018. Mitigating Undesignated Trail Use: The Efficacy of Messaging and Direct Site Management Actions in an Urban-Proximate Open Space Context. Environmental Management 62, 458–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1054-1 Shaw, B., Campbell, T., Radler, B.T., 2021. Testing Emphasis Message Frames and Metaphors on Social Media to Engage Boaters to Learn about Preventing the Spread of Zebra Mussels. Environmental Management 68, 824–834. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01506-6 Wallen, K.E., Kyle, G.T., 2018. The efficacy of message frames on recreational boaters’ aquatic invasive species mitigation behavioral intentions. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 23, 297–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2018.1434705 Walsh, P.J., 2021. Behavioural approaches and conservation messages with New Zealand’s threatened kiwi. Global ecology and conservation 28, e01694. Wang, L., Lyu, J., 2019. Inspiring awe through tourism and its consequence. Annals of Tourism Research 77, 106–116. Witzling, L., Shaw, B., Amato, M.S., 2015. Incorporating information exposure into a theory of planned behavior model to enrich understanding of proenvironmental behavior. Science Communication 37, 551–574. Yan, A., Jia, W., 2021. The influence of eliciting awe on pro-environmental behavior of tourist in religious tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 48, 55–65. Yang, Y., Hu, J., Jing, F., Nguyen, B., 2018. From awe to ecological behavior: The mediating role of connectedness to nature. Sustainability 10, 2477. Yuriev, A., Dahmen, M., Paillé, P., Boiral, O., Guillaumie, L., 2020. Pro-environmental behaviors through the lens of the theory of planned behavior: A scoping review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 155, 104660. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4234340","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":288842912,"identity":"3ab05dee-1f09-4faf-b530-a82db1b32f1d","order_by":0,"name":"Satomi Mitsui","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tsukuba","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Satomi","middleName":"","lastName":"Mitsui","suffix":""},{"id":288842913,"identity":"557eca88-e186-4ef5-8ed4-4c6312713239","order_by":1,"name":"Tadashi Uno","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mount Fuji Research Institute, Yamanashi Prefectural Government","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tadashi","middleName":"","lastName":"Uno","suffix":""},{"id":288842914,"identity":"9ff7fd20-6684-43f2-84a8-35aebeb6c511","order_by":2,"name":"Masahiro Horiuchi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Institute of Fitness and Sports in KANOYA","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masahiro","middleName":"","lastName":"Horiuchi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-04-08 06:27:45","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":54589915,"identity":"de62b336-9fa8-4765-8383-f2de671b501d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-12 16:48:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":173212,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe cleaning mats and a signboard at the entrance of Yoshida trail fifth station.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4234340/v1/3df82f769dad0c2b66484ef6.jpg"},{"id":54589917,"identity":"5cf36037-6c8e-4868-8e4a-e5939f7d761e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-12 16:48:06","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":126211,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSign A (left) and B (right)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe main message of Sign A is “Let's protect Mt. Fuji” and Sign B is “Don’t bring non-native plants.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote that these messages are written only in Japanese and are large. Another common message is written in Japanese, English, and Chinese: “Please use this mat to remove mud and invasive plant seeds from your shoes.”\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4234340/v1/44f3ed809e3f121ecf5d743a.jpg"},{"id":54589914,"identity":"04a1c9f6-01ed-4964-bfd4-7b92c535295a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-12 16:48:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":19192,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCleaning mat usage rate for each sign\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4234340/v1/e64413724ab6921314d27596.jpg"},{"id":54590149,"identity":"13762c77-423e-4a33-bae1-96390c7feea5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-12 16:56:05","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":74398,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eResults of regression analysis\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4234340/v1/e0b98b7438eb69eff7c60680.jpg"},{"id":55567422,"identity":"57fdc064-b5a4-40c5-8927-1adaf4bbe1df","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-04-30 04:30:14","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1027113,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4234340/v1/67488362-1a6e-4818-897d-0e18d935834c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Influence of conservation messages and psychological factors on non-native plants removal behaviors","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eConservation messages are expected to inspire pro-environmental behavior (Kidd et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Kusmanoff et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Especially in national parks, where visitors are required to follow rules and manners for sustainable tourism, it is important to understand the factors that influence their behavior and design effective conservation messages (Abrams et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Leung et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Wallen and Kyle \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Many national parks have attempted to send conservation messages to visitors through lectures, flyers, websites, social media, and signboards (Leung et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Marion and Reid \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). Signboards are often used to spread awareness in national parks, where radio reception and accessibility are often poor. However, we can often see signboards with messages that have not been sufficiently considered or signboards that traditionally use the same message. Therefore, there is room for improvement in communicating effectively using signboards. This study aimed to assess the impact of conservation messages on the behavior of protected area visitors and contribute to the mainstreaming of evidence-based interventions to present effective conservation messages.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne of the pro-environmental behaviors required by visitors in national parks is to prevent the introduction of non-native plants, and effective communication to ensure cooperative behaviors has become a major concern (Ansong and Pickering \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). In protected areas frequented by many visitors, there is a high risk of invasion and the spread of non-native plant seeds through the soles of shoes (Anderson et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Pickering and Mount \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). When non-native plants invade and spread in national parks, it becomes difficult to eradicate them and change the ecosystem and landscape (Foxcroft et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). To prevent the emergence of seeds from non-native plants, it is important to encourage visitors to clean their shoes before coming to protected areas (Pickering and Mount \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Waterfront measures at national park entrances include installing cleaning mats and signboards with conservation messages that encourage the removal of non-native plant seeds.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Japan, national parks are popular tourist destinations and Mt. Fuji attracts many visitors. Mt. Fuji was designated as a national park in 1936 as part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and in 2013, the area surrounding it was designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Over 200,000 climbers have visited Mt. Fuji during the September of the climbing season annually for the past 10 years, except during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020\u0026ndash;2022 (Ministry of the Environment 2023). Therefore, there is a considerably high risk of invasion and the spread of non-native plants. In particular, the area above the fifth station of Mt. Fuji is a specially protected area that requires measures to ensure not only nature but also the beauty and sacredness of World Cultural Heritage values remain intact. Therefore, measures to control invasive non-native plants are required, and since 2020, Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the administrations that manages Mt. Fuji, has installed cleaning mats to remove seeds of non-native plants from visitors' shoes at the trail entrances at the fifth station (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Along with cleaning mats, signboards were installed to encourage their use. It is desirable for signboards to present conservation messages that are highly effective in encouraging action, but at present, it is unclear what factors influence behavior and what kinds of messages are effective, and scientific data are needed to provide a basis for decisions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSome studies have focused on the behavior of using cleaning mats to remove non-native plants and understand the factors that influence this behavior. Gill et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) surveyed 116 visitors at a national park in Australia. The results showed that although about half of the respondents had a positive attitude that shoe cleaning behavior had the advantage of preventing the spread of plant seeds, only about 14% actually cleaned their shoes before entering the park. Studies related to cleaning mat behavior have also been conducted (Nishizawa et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). They noted that knowledge and risk perception of non-native plant problems were not linked to the actual behavior of cleaning shoes before visiting the park. Furthermore, although they did not identify significant differences between factual and procedural knowledge in the content of signs at trail entrances, nudges were effective in directing visitors to a cleaning mat, and suggested the effectiveness of a combination of nudges and procedural knowledge in the behavior of using a cleaning mat.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile these studies examined attitudes toward the behavior, knowledge, and perceived risk of non-native plants as psychological and personal factors affecting visitors' use of cleaning mats, it is still unclear what factors influence their behavior. To increase the effectiveness of conservation messages on signboards that encourage visitors to use cleaning mats, it is desirable to design conservation messages based on an understanding of the factors affecting visitors\u0026rsquo; behavior when using cleaning mats. This study demonstrated through a field experiment whether conservation messages on signboards affect the actual behavior of using a cleaning mat to prevent the transmission of seeds of non-native plants at Mt. Fuji in Japan. We then attempted to determine how differences in conservation messages caused behavioral changes. Thus, using a questionnaire survey, we sought to identify the psychological and personal factors that influence cleaning mat use behavior and the effect of conservation messages on behavior and these factors. We then recommend the use of desirable conservation messages.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDesign of conservation messages\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe importance of framing conservation messages has been pointed out to promote pro-environmental behavior (Cheng et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Kusmanoff et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Message framing can be broadly divided into emotional and rational framing (Li et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). There are also case studies on the framing of conservation messages, for example, some related to the control of non-native species (Shaw et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Wallen and Kyle \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Wallen and Kyle (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) compared the effects of four short messages that fall under rational framing (standard, regulation, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms) on past behavior or behavioral intentions related to non-native aquatic species management. Although no differences were observed among the four messages regarding past behavior, they found that the regulation message was effective in influencing future behavioral intentions among those who were highly aware of behavioral barriers (Wallen and Kyle \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). However, because it targets self-reported past behaviors and future behavioral intentions, its validity for actual behavior is unknown. Shaw et al. (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) focused on metaphors as emotional framing, presented five different illustrations and messages on Facebook, and evaluated the differences in each behavior, such as click cost, comment posting, and sharing. As a result, they stated that appeals comparing invasive species to hitchhikers were more likely to cause behavior change than appeals based on scientific information, but there is no universally effective message and that it is necessary to select messages that match personal factors or purpose of communication. However, the effects of illustrations and text could not be separated in their study (Shaw et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), and the effects of each design required continued verification.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding Mt. Fuji, the conservation messages used in this study were \u0026ldquo;Let\u0026apos;s protect Mt. Fuji\u0026rdquo; (Sign A) as the control and \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t bring non-native plants\u0026rdquo; (Sign B) as the treatment (Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Since 2016, sign A has been used in Shizuoka Prefecture, and one of the administrations that manages Mt. Fuji, Yamanashi Prefecture, took it over and used it in 2020 when cleaning mats were installed. The message of Sign A exhibits a positive tone and is intended to evoke positive feelings about people\u0026apos;s attitudes and actions and to encourage empathy. In contrast, the message of sign B is presented as a rational framing that focuses on the output of the behavior, not on its outcome, and is supposed to lead to an understanding of the procedures of the behavior. The figure design of the signboard was also modified so that the visibility of the message would not be compromised and the difference between the messages would be clear. However, the size and color of the signs could not be changed because of park management restrictions. Behavioral surveys and questionnaires were used to determine the effects of these two types of conservation messages on the behavior and determinants of cleaning mats at Mt. Fuji.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003eFactors influencing cleaning mat usage behavior\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIn this study, as factors influenced the behaviors, we assumed \u003cem\u003eAttitudes\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNorms\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e based on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e), which has been used in previous studies on pro-environmental behavior (Yuriev et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). \u003cem\u003eRisk perception\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eKnowledge\u003c/em\u003e about behavior were also set as factors, with reference to previous studies on invasive species (Nguyen et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Nishizawa et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Witzling et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Another feature of this study is the assessment of the influence of the concept of \u003cem\u003eAwe\u003c/em\u003e on behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAwe is an emotion toward objects with vastness and accommodation that can have the power to change people\u0026apos;s lives, goals, and values (Keltner and Haidt \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Previous studies have indicated that awe can occur during outdoor adventure, nature-based tourism, and religious tourism, such as visits to sacred mountains (Coghlan et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Lu et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Pearce et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, recent studies suggest that the intensity of awe positively influences the intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior using evaluation factors such as the beauty and grandeur of nature felt during tourism experiences, emotional movements of being exposed to religious beliefs, and the experience of feeling a perception of a small self (Wang and Lyu \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Yan and Jia \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Yang et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMt. Fuji is a symbolic entity that has long been held in awe by the Japanese people. It has been designated a World Cultural Heritage Site in recognition of its history as an object of faith and its value as a source of art because of its beauty. We hypothesized that awe toward Mt. Fuji would positively influence visitor behavior when using a cleaning mat to remove non-native plants. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the influence of six factors (i.e., \u003cem\u003eAwe, Attitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control, Risk perception\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eKnowledge)\u003c/em\u003e on mat use behavior, as well as the interaction between the two types of conservation messages (signs A and B in Fig. \u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) and the six factors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy site\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe survey was conducted at the fifth station entrance of the Yoshida Trail, located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which is the most heavily used trail on Mt. Fuji. In 2021, when the survey was conducted, travel for foreigners was restricted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and visitors were limited to Japanese residents. Although the number of visitors decreased considerably, 54,392 climbers visited the fifth station on Mt. Fuji during the climbing season from July to September (Ministry of the Environment 2023). Cleaning mats and signs to prevent the invasion of non-native plants were installed during the climbing season.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fifth station of the Yoshida trial is located at an altitude of 2,305 m, close to the forest limit. A wide trail was established, and the trail surface was bare ground consisting mainly of scoria. Alpine plants can be seen along the trails, and as reported by Konno et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), domestic non-native plants such as mugwort (\u003cem\u003eArtemisia indica\u003c/em\u003e) and plantains (\u003cem\u003ePlantago asiatic\u003c/em\u003e) were found in high-altitude areas, making this area the front line of non-native plant invasion.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSurvey design and data collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDuring the 2021 climbing season, signboards A and B were posted daily to visitors at the entrance of the Yoshida Trail Fifth Station on Mt. Fuji. The signs were posted for 19 days between July and September 2021, with sign A posted for 10 days and sign B posted for nine days. On the day of the survey, we conducted a behavioral survey by recording a video and a questionnaire survey by handing out a QR code, including the questionnaire items. These surveys were conducted between 10:00 and 14:00, according to bus arrival times.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor the behavioral survey, we counted the number of visitors who used the mats and those who did not by visually checking the recorded video. The survey subjects were limited to individual visitors, excluding guided visitors, to eliminate the influence of the direct instructions given by the mountain guides.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate psychological factors influencing mat-use behavior. Individual visitors were given a QR code and were asked to complete the questionnaire using Google Forms on the website by the end of September 2021. Two types of QR codes were prepared: mat users and non-users. This was done to link questionnaire responses to mat-use behavior. After a researcher visually confirmed whether a tourist had used the mat, the QR code corresponding to the behavior was distributed. This was done to avoid false reports in the self-reports on whether a cleaning mat was used. The questionnaires presented in the two QR codes were identical. The total distribution was aimed at over 2,070 people: over 500 users and 500 non-users of cleaning mats when Sign A was posted and in the same way as for sign B. This number of distributions was calculated using 150,000 climbers in the Yoshida trial in 2019 with a 5% margin of error, a 95% confidence level, and a collection rate of 18.5%. This collection rate was based on the results of a QR code-based survey conducted in 2018 at the fifth station on the Yoshida Trail on Mt. Fuji (Fujino \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe video-based behavioral survey and the questionnaire survey were conducted with the approval of the Research Ethics Committee for Human Subjects of the Mount Fuji Research Institute (approval number: ECMFRI-02-2020).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eContents of the questionnaire\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe questionnaire comprised questions regarding control variables and psychological and personal factors. The control variables included mountain-climbing experience, number of visits to Mt. Fuji, and age and sex. We hypothesized the following six personal psychological factors: \u003cem\u003eAwe, Attitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control, Risk perception\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eKnowledge\u003c/em\u003e. Multiple questions were asked about each factor. In the statistical analysis, after confirming the Cronbach's alpha value, the average value of these questions was used as a representative value for each factor. Responses to all questions, except \u003cem\u003eknowledge\u003c/em\u003e were measured on a five-point scale from 1 (Totally disagree) to 5 (Totally agree).” The details of the questions are listed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAwe\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe question on awe was based on previous studies (Yan \u0026amp; Jia \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e, Wang \u0026amp; Lyu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) and the value of Mt. Fuji as a World Cultural Heritage Site, sacred place, and source of artistic inspiration. In particular, we asked nine questions based on the sacredness, beauty, and perception of nature they felt when they visited the fifth station on Mt. Fuji. The Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.79.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAttitudes\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was assumed that people with positive thoughts about a particular behavior are more likely to have behavioral intentions and, thus, are more likely to act (Ajzen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e). Here, to assess an individual's positive or negative thoughts of the behavior of using the cleaning mat, we asked three questions, concerning the perceived importance, effectiveness, and their agreement to the behavior. (α = 0.78).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eNorms\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNorms were measured using four questions regarding subjective and descriptive norms (Ham et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Rivis and Sheeran \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). The subjective norms determined whether people nearby felt the expectation or pressure to use a cleaning mat, whereas the descriptive norms asked about perceptions of how common the act of using a cleaning mat was. For subjective norms, we asked two questions to determine whether visitors felt any expectation or pressure from others close to them to use the cleaning mat. For descriptive norms, we asked how common the behavior of using a cleaning mat was. The Cronbach’s alpha (α) was 0.65.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived behavioral control refers to the influence of perceived regulatory factors that make particular behaviors difficult or easy to act upon (Ajzen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e). We addressed the time and psychological costs of using a cleaning mat (Lubeck et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Niemiec et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). The survey asked the three questions regarding this aspect (α = 0.62).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eRisk perception\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding risk perception, we asked three questions (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e) based on past studies (Ansong and Pickering \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Kueffer et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Nguyen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). In the analysis, the scale of responses to two of the three questions was reversed. Since Cronbach's alpha was low at 0.27, these three questions were not combined into one factor, but were used individually as explanatory variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eKnowledge\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding knowledge of cleaning mat behavior, the respondents were asked whether they knew that the mat was installed to prevent non-native plants. This question focuses on knowledge related to the outputs of mat usage behavior, as it suggests that knowledge linked to behavior may be more important than the general knowledge of non-native plants (Daab and Flint \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Nishizawa et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The responses to this question were divided into two dummy variables for analysis, depending on whether knowledge was obtained. The first dummy variable was set to 1 if a respondent had knowledge before visiting the trial and 0 otherwise. The other dummy variable was set to 1 if knowledge was gained by Sign A or B at the trial and 0 otherwise.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the analysis, the use of a cleaning mat was used as an objective variable. Dummy variable was set to 1 if the mat was used before entering the trial and 0 if the mat was not used. Mat-use behavior was checked visually and linked to the questionnaire survey results. For the explanatory variables, \u003cem\u003eAttitudes, Norms, Perceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAwe\u003c/em\u003e, Cronbach's alpha score was at least 0.6; therefore, the average value of the relevant questions was treated as an index for each factor. For \u003cem\u003eRisk perception\u003c/em\u003e, each of the three questions was treated as an explanatory variable. For the \u003cem\u003eKnowledge\u003c/em\u003e, it was set as a dummy variable. Furthermore, we included a dummy variable, where 0 means Sign A and 1 means Sign B, representing the difference in conservation messages, and also included interaction terms between the Sign dummy variable and the explanatory variables into the regression equation. In the analysis, four control variables were included: age, sex, visit frequency to Mt. Fuji, and climbing experience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLogistic regression analysis was performed on all variables, including explanatory variables with interaction terms with signs and control variables. The correlation coefficients among the explanatory variables were less than 0.6 and the Generalized Variance Inflation factor was less than 3. A stepwise method was then applied to obtain the model with the lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). R software version 3.6.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used for the analysis. Logistic regression results were illustrated using effect plots in R in the effects package.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestionnaire items applied to explanatory variables and results of descriptive statistics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanatory variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStandard\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDeviation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eα\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAwe\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI think Mt. Fuji is a sacred place.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fifth station of Mt. Fuji feels less sacred than I expected. *\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt that Mt. Fuji was beautiful.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fifth station of Mt. Fuji is not as beautiful as I expected. *\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt the power of nature.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe fifth station of Mt. Fuji is a place where nature has been touched by humans more than I expected. *\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt like I was a part of nature.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen I visited Mt. Fuji's fifth station, I felt the history of faith in Mt. Fuji.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen I visited the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, I felt like I had been purified.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAttitudes\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is important to use the cleaning mat to prevent the spread of non-native plants.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsing the cleaning mat is effective in preventing the spread of non-native plants.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI agree with using the cleaning mat before entering the trail.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNorms\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ethe subjective norms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther visitors around me seemed to think that I should use a cleaning mat.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe guides and staff at Mt. Fuji seemed to think that I should use a cleaning mat.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ethe descriptive norms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI think it is normal to use a cleaning mat before entering a trail.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsing a cleaning mat before entering a trail is a manner that everyone should follow.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI have time to use the cleaning mat before entering the trail.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIf another tourist is using the cleaning mat, I can wait until the mat is available.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt's easy to remove non-native plants from my shoes with the cleaning mat.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRisk perception\u003c/b\u003e (Each item was used as a variable)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI don’t think it is necessary to take measures against the invasion of non-native plants. *\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1. 43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI think the invasion of non-native plants will damage the landscape at Mt. Fuji.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1. 09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI don't think I would bring non-native plants into this area. *\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKnowledge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edummy 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 indicates “I have had knowledge before I came to the trail entrance.”, 0 indicates except 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edummy 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 indicates “I got knowledge from sign.”, 0 indicates except 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e* indicates reverse questions. The Likert scale was reversed to calculate the mean and Standard Deviation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" type=\"Results\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure 3. Cleaning mat usage rate for each sign\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIt is crucial to verify the effectiveness of conservation messages and implement them strategically (Kidd et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Schwartz et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Walsh \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This study evaluated the effects of differences in conservation messages on the actual behavior of two types of signboards using an example of behavior in using control mats for the invasion of non-native plants at Mt. Fuji. The results showed that changing the conservation message clearly impacted people's behavior (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3). In other words, even short conservation messages, such as signboards, can enhance the effectiveness of behavioral change, and it is valuable to think strategically about message content.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, to understand the context in which behavioral changes occurred, a questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the effects of conservation messages on the behavioral and psychological factors that influence behavior. As a result, not all the factors examined had a positive effect on behavior (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, we found that important factors promoting behavior in using cleaning mats were the \u003cem\u003eKnowledge of behavior\u003c/em\u003e in which the mats were installed to prevent the invasion of non-native plants and a high awareness of \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Previous studies (Daab and Flint \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Nishizawa et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) have indicated that knowledge of invasive plants, such as word meanings or ecological impacts, has a lesser association with control behavior. However, the present study showed that knowledge that clearly links action and purposes, meaning that the use of a cleaning mat contributes to the control of invasive plants, significantly promotes behavior. This provides an important perspective for the development of future communication strategies. The importance of communication strategies that emphasize the link between basic knowledge of invasive plants and appropriate control actions has been previously suggested (Ansong and Pickering \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Nishizawa et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), which further supports this perspective with analytical results. Regarding \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e, those who did not feel the time loss or mental burden of using mats were more likely to take action. In this study, signs and mats were placed at the trail entrance. However, in the future, there may be room to consider measures to set them at bus waiting areas and other locations where people are less likely to feel burdened.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, interaction effects were identified between \u003cem\u003eSigns\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eNorms\u003c/em\u003e, and the influence of norms on behavior varied depending on the differences in signs (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Regarding Mt. Fuji, it is thought that sign B would more effectively encourage the use of a cleaning mat, given the large number of highly norm-conscious visitors. During the actual monitoring, the usage rate of the cleaning mat was significantly higher for sign B than for sign A (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThird, the results of our analysis showed that the intensity of a positive attitude toward the behavior and awe negatively influenced the behavior of using a cleaning mat. A previous study on activities for non-native species control showed that attitude toward behavioral intention was the weakest predictor, suggesting that it may be easily influenced by factors such as knowledge, medias, and interpersonal communication (Witzling et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, there may be a difference between behavioral intentions and actual behavior in the influence of attitude. Positive attitudes toward behavior are not necessarily considered to be conducive to behavior. Although many visitors to Mt. Fuji had a positive attitude toward activities to prevent non-native plants, the use rate of cleaning mats was approximately 30% on average, which is not high overall. It is possible that numerous visitors were drawn into a situation in which approximately 70% of the surrounding visitors were not using it, resulting in negative effects. When investigating the influence of these factors on actual behavior, it is necessary to consider the behavior and communication of the people around a subject. Moreover, visitors with higher awe were less likely to use a cleaning mat. This was contrary to our expectations and the results of previous studies that stated that awe promotes pro-environmental behavior (Wang and Lyu \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Yan and Jia \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Yang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Connecting the values of Mt. Fuji, such as faith and art, to conservation activities in the natural environment may not be common. Further studies are warranted.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, other limitation on this study is described. We conducted a quasi-experiment in the field to verify the effectiveness of conservation messages. Although we tried to increase the reliability of the monitoring survey by securing many people, it must be noted that the survey conditions included uncertain factors, such as differences in weather, crowding, and the behavior of people around targets, which may introduce bias into the survey conditions. However, we believe that the verification of effectiveness in the actual field is meaningful because, although it involves an element of uncertainty in considering the factors behind the event, it can actually produce certain results in showing signs that more effectively bring about behavior change and can be returned to the field.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, the communication of conservation messages through signs has been used in various settings as an approach to spread awareness that encourages pro-environmental behavior. This study argues for the need to examine the effectiveness of conservation messages and change them to appropriate messages to promote behavioral change more effectively.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003ch2\u003eBehavioral survey\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the survey, 6,742 individual visitors, excluding guided tour groups, visited the fifth station entrance on Yoshida Trail. Counting the number of individual visitors using the cleaning mat from the video footage, 924 out of 4220 visitors (21.9%) used mats when sign A was displayed, and 922 out of 2522 visitors (36.6%) used mats when sign B was displayed (Fig.\u0026nbsp;3). We conducted a Chi-square test, and the results revealed significant differences among conditions (χ\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e = 170.68, df = 1, p \u0026lt; .001).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCharacteristics of the Respondents\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe distributed a QR code to 2,254 visitors, of which 1,040 visitors (mat user = 540 and non-users = 500) received it when sign A was displayed and 1,214 visitors (mat users = 500 and non-users = 714) received it when sign B was displayed. A total of 337 responses were collected and analyzed (valid responses = 15.0%). Of these, responses were received from 172 people (87 mat users and 85 non-users) when sign A was displayed and 165 people (mat users = 101 and non-users = 64) when sign B was displayed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e presents the results of the personal attributes used as control variables in the statistical analysis. Of the 337 responses, 192 were male, 139 were female, and 6 did not specify their gender. Regarding age groups, most respondents were in their 50s and 40s (59.3%), followed by those in their 20s and 30s (28.5%). Regarding the number of visits to Mt. Fuji, first-time visitors are the most frequent (33.2%), followed by frequent visitors (28.8%) who have visited Mt. Fuji five or more times. Climbing experience was described on an ordinal scale of 1 to 3, with the largest number of respondents answering 1, indicating below 3 years of climbing; for the 11 respondents who did not answer the question, the median value of 2, indicating 3–10 years of climbing experience, was assigned.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndividual attributes and the use of mats per sign\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSign A\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSign B\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnused\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnused\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN = 337\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge-group\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e115\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e192\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e139\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOthers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVisit frequency to Mt. Fuji\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt; 5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eClimbing experience\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (0 ~ 3 years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e122\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (3 ~ 10 years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e118\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (over 10 years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e* NA, not applicable. The missing value was assigned 2 which is the median of the responses obtained.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCharacteristics of the explanatory variables\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding the perception of awe as a heritage value (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), most respondents perceived beauty and sacredness; however, the distribution changed when the questions were confirmed by negatively changing the way they were asked, with an increase in the number of respondents who rated the values in the middle and a larger standard deviation. In particular, although many respondents said they felt the power and sacredness of nature, they said that nature was more human-influenced than they expected and that they felt less sacred than they expected. All six questions on \u003cem\u003eAttitudes\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e had a mean score above 4.0 on a 5-point scale (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, many respondents held a positive attitude toward the behavior, and they did not find it difficult to use the cleaning mat. Regarding \u003cem\u003eNorms\u003c/em\u003e, the subjective norms, which express the expectation of others to perform a behavior, averaged around 3, whereas the descriptive norms, which state that the use of a cleaning mat is a general behavior, averaged 4 or higher. Although the risk perception was generally high, many respondents were unsure about the possibility of them bringing in non-native plants. Regarding knowledge of behavior, 63% of the respondents were aware of the purpose of installing the mat to prevent non-native species from using it.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStatistics analysis results\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLogistic regression analysis was first performed with all variables, including interactions. Subsequently, variables were selected using the backward stepwise method to obtain the model with the lowest AIC. The explanatory variables selected were \u003cem\u003eAttitudes\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNorms\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKnowledge1, 2\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAwe\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRisk perception 1\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSigns\u003c/em\u003e (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). As for control variables, age, visit frequency to Mt. Fuji, and climbing experience were selected. \u003cem\u003ePerceived behavioral control, Knowledge 1\u003c/em\u003e (Having knowledge before), and especially \u003cem\u003eKnowledge 2\u003c/em\u003e (Gain knowledge from sign) had a positive influence on behavior (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). In contrast, the intensity of awe and positive attitudes toward behavior negatively influenced mat-use behavior (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Interactions were identified between \u003cem\u003eNorms\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSigns\u003c/em\u003e. People with high norm consciousness are more likely to be encouraged to use a mat if Sign B is posted. It was suggested that sign A encourages the behavior of visitors with a low sense of norms.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e Results of regression analysis after variable selection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003elog (OR) \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOR\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95% CI\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.57–1.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.075\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVisit frequency to Mt. Fuji\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.59–1.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.093\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClimbing experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.60–1.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAttitudes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46–0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.024\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived behavioral control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.11–2.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRisk perception 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.99–1.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.058\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwe\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.49–0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge 1 (dummy 1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.04–8.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge 2 (dummy 2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.66–19.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNorms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.76–1.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSign B\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.86–2.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSign B * norm\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.04–3.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;OR = Odds Ratio, CI = Confidence Interval\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003ch2\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no conflict of interest related with this study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was supported by Yamanashi prefecture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSM, TU, and MH conceptualized and designed the study and collected the data. SM analyzed the data, interpreted the results, and wrote the first manuscript. SM, TU, and MH revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe would like to thank all the participants who responded to our survey. We also thank Ms. Chieko Takiguchi, Ms. Misato Watanabe, Dr. Taisuke Yasuda.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData is provided within the manuscript. The questionnaire survey in Japanese will be provided at the Mount Fuji Research Institute Repository site in 2025.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbrams, K.M., Leong, K., Melena, S., Teel, T., 2020. Encouraging Safe Wildlife Viewing in National Parks: Effects of a Communication Campaign on Visitors\u0026rsquo; Behavior. 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Resources, Conservation and Recycling 155, 104660.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Behavior change, invasive species, pro-environmental behavior, science communication, World Heritage, Mt. Fuji","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study demonstrated the differences in behavioral changes caused by the two types of conservation messages through the field experiments at Mt. Fuji, Japan. The target behavior was to use a cleaning mat set up on a mountain trail to remove non-native plant seeds from the soles of visitors\u0026rsquo; shoes. To further understand the context of behavioral change, a questionnaire survey was used to examine the influence of different conservation messages and psychological and personal factors, including awe. Knowledge linked to behavior and a sense of perceived behavioral control promoted behavior, whereas positive attitudes toward behavior and higher awe had a negative impact on behavior. Conservation messages interact with norms, and effective message-promoting behavior differs depending on the norm level. Conservation messages should be selected based on the characteristics of the target segmentation. Even short conservation messages, such as signboards, can enhance the effectiveness of behavioral change, and it is valuable to think strategically about message content.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Influence of conservation messages and psychological factors on non-native plants removal behaviors","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-04-12 16:48:00","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4234340/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fb0edcb6-1d08-413e-a39f-edf098b2414a","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 12th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-04-30T04:21:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-04-12 16:48:00","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4234340","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4234340","identity":"rs-4234340","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}