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

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Arjun Prasad Verma — Department of Agricultural Extension
Bhanu Prakash Mishra — Department of Agricultural Extension
Dheeraj Mishra — Department of Agricultural Extension
Avanish Sharma — Department of Forest Biology and Tree Breeding, College of Forestry, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001, Uttar Pradesh, India
Rishabh Yadav — Young Professional, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda-210001, Uttar Pradesh, India
Divya Katiyar — Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
Published 28 Sep 2026 Vol. 62 No. 4 (2026), pp. 243-249 ● Open access
❝ How to cite 🔗 https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2026.624RT03
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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. 

 

KeywordsAgriculture–human–wildlife conflictBuffer zonePerception scaleExploratory factor analysisRanipur tiger reserve

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