Abstract
Wildlife conservation depends on supportive social as well as biophysical conditions. Social identities such as hunter and nonhunter are often associated with different attitudes toward wildlife. However, it is unknown whether dynamics within and among these identity groups explain how attitudes form and why they differ. To investigate how social identities help shape wildlife‐related attitudes and the implications for wildlife policy and conservation, we built a structural equation model with survey data from Montana (USA) residents ( n = 1758) that tested how social identities affect the relationship between experiences with grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis ) and attitudes toward the species. Model results ( r 2 = 0.51) demonstrated that the hunter identity magnified the negative effect of vicarious property damage on attitudes toward grizzly bears ( β = −0.381, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.584 to −0.178, p β = −0.571, 95% CI: −0.611 to −0.531, p