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Explora: Environment
and Resource COVID-19 impact on forest biodiversity attitudes

Figure 1. Conceptual framework

(1970) for sample size, the sample size of 384 respondents questionnaire was drawn from existing literature to ensure
with a margin error of 5% was sufficient for the targeted validity and reliability.
population of around 16.24 million people aged between Participants were asked to rate the impact of COVID-19
25 and 64 years. based on statements such as: “The COVID-19 pandemic has
Five hundred and thirteen questionnaires were negatively affected my physical health,” “The COVID-19
distributed, and 505 were finalized and analyzed. The pandemic has negatively affected my mental health,” “The
questionnaire includes three sections: (i) demographic COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected my financial
data; (ii) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on status,” and “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased my
peoples’ lives; and (iii) factors causing the public attitude awareness of environmental issues.” Factors influencing
(awareness) toward biodiversity. The demographic profiles public attitudes toward biodiversity included statements
sought were gender, age, marital status, education, monthly such as “I am aware of the importance of biodiversity,” “I
income level, geographical location (in Malaysia only), and believe that the loss of biodiversity is a serious problem,”
sources of information regarding biodiversity. The impact “I support policies aimed at conserving biodiversity,”
of COVID-19 was measured using different techniques and “I participate in activities that they support diversity
of framing questions on the Likert scale. While people’s conservation.” Biodiversity awareness was assessed through
attitudes toward biodiversity were measured using closed- statements such as “Deforestation leads to the extinction of
ended questions. The nominal scale was used to obtain a birds,” “Deforestation leads to the extinction of mammals,”
range of values for the demographic findings. At the same “Deforestation leads to the extinction of plants,” “I am
time, the ordinal scale choice of answers was based on a concerned about the extinction of bird species,” “I am
five-point Likert scale ranking: 1 (strongly disagree), 2 concerned about the extinction mammal species,” “I am
(disagree), 3 (neutral), 4 (agree), and 5 (strongly agree). concerned about the extinction of plant species,” and
Through the Likert scale, the respondents may select the “COVID-19 has increased my awareness of the risks of
response reflecting their position toward the statement. biodiversity loss.” This structured questionnaire approach
The used constructs and items were primarily extracted has provided a detailed understanding of the factors
from the existing literature. influencing the attitude of the public toward biodiversity
conservation and the impact of COVID-19 on this public
4.1. Variables and items behavior.
Variables were categorized based on an inductive
approach, identifying patterns and themes from the data. 5. Analysis and results
Demographic variables include gender, age, marital status, Data obtained were analyzed through SMART-PLS
education level, monthly income, geographic location, version 3 software. This software processes the data
and sources of biodiversity information. Variables related by performing partial least square-structural equation
to the impact of COVID-19 were categorized based on modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. The SEM is the second-
different aspects of participants’ lives. Attitudinal variables generation multivariate data analysis technique for social
were categorized based on awareness, perceptions, and sciences research it can test theoretically supported linear
behavioral intentions. The constructs and items used in the and additive causal models. The PLS was used to depict

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 7 doi: 10.36922/eer.3615