Abstract
The increasing incidence of animal attacks on crops has emerged as a major challenge for tribal farmers, necessitating a systematic evaluation of perceptions regarding their impact. The study, conducted in 2025, developed and validated a standardised Likert-type scale to measure the impact of wildlife crop damage among the tribal farmers. An initial set of 44 items was considered on the basis of literature review and expert consultation. Fourteen judges evaluated the statements’ relevancy, and based on predefined criteria (MRS > 4.00, RP >80 per cent, RW >0.80), 28 statements were retained. These statements were administered to 150 tribal farmers chosen from Attappady. Item analyses were undertaken using the critical ratio (t-test), and reliability analyses resulted in the elimination of 11 items, yielding a final scale comprising 17 statements. The scale confirmed a high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.914. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the adequacy of the data (KMO + 0.795) and identified four components – nutritional, economic, psychological and institutional impacts – which explained 78.95 percent of total variance. The developed scale was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for examining the multidimensional impact of wildlife-induced crop damage among the tribal farmers.
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