Construction of Perception Scale to Measure the Agriculture–Human–Wildlife Conflict among Farming Communities

Arjun Verma; Bhanu Prakash Mishra; Dheeraj  Mishra; Avanish Sharma; Rishabh Yadav; Divya  Katiyar

doi:10.48165/IJEE.2026.624RT03

Authors

Arjun P Verma Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Bhanu Prakash Mishra Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda
Dheeraj Mishra Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Avanish Sharma Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Biology and Tree Breeding, College of Forestry, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Rishabh Yadav Young Professional, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Divya Katiyar Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005 (U.P), India

https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2026.624RT03

Keywords:

Agriculture–Human–Wildlife Conflict, Buffer Zone, Perception Scale, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Ranipur Tiger Reserve

Abstract

Agriculture–Human–Wildlife Conflict (AHWC) in buffer zones of protected areas poses recurring economic and psychological burdens on farming households. Yet few context-specific multidimensional instruments have been reported to measure how farmers understand and evaluate this conflict. The study developed and validated a Farmers' Perception Scale towards AHWC (FPS-AHWC) among farming households residing in buffer zone villages. An initial pool of 52 statements was generated through literature review, expert consultation, and field-based enquiry. After the evaluation from nine experts, 43 statements were retained for field testing. The 43-item instrument was used to collect data from 200 farming households. Item-level screening using corrected item–total correlation (CITC) and alpha-if-item-deleted criteria reduced the scale to 22 items, with the overall Cronbach's α improving from 0.687 (43 items) to 0.886 (22 items; CITC range: 0.431–0.536). Exploratory Factor Analysis resulted in four interpretable factors, namely Perceived Conflict Severity and Risk (6 items, 28.91% variance), Perceived Effectiveness of Conflict-Mitigation Measures (7 items, 9.945%), Conservation and Coexistence Orientation (6 items, 7.99%), and Contextual Appraisal of Wildlife Presence (3 items, 6.61%), together explaining 53.47% of the total variance. The FPS-AHWC provides a validated diagnostic tool for assessing farmers' perceptions in buffer zones of protected areas.

Author Biographies

Arjun P Verma, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Bhanu Prakash Mishra, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda

Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Dheeraj Mishra, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India

Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, CoA, Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Avanish Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Biology and Tree Breeding, College of Forestry, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India

Assistant Professor,Department of Forest Biology and Tree Breeding, College of Forestry, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Rishabh Yadav, Young Professional, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India

Young Professional, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001 (U.P.), India
Divya Katiyar, Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005 (U.P), India

Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005 (U.P), India

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