Examining variation in reasoning about sustainability between diverse populations provides unique insight into how group norms surrounding resource conservation develop. Cultural institutions, such as religious organizations and formal schools, can mobilize communities to solve collective challenges associated with resource depletion. This study examined conservation beliefs in a Western industrialized (Austin, Texas, USA) and a non‐Western, subsistence agricultural community (Tanna, Vanuatu) among children, adolescents, and adults (N = 171; n = 58 7–12‐year‐olds, n = 53 13–17‐year‐olds, and n = 60 18–68‐year‐olds). Participants endorsed or rejected four types of justifications for engaging in land and animal conservation: sustainability, moral, religious, or permissible. In both populations, participants endorsed sustainability justifications most frequently. Religious justifications increased with age in Tanna and decreased with age in Austin. Tannese participants were also more likely to endorse multiple justifications for conservation than Austin participants. Data across all justification types show a main effect of age in both communities; endorsement of conservation decreased with age in Austin, but increased with age in Tanna. Across age groups, participants were more likely to endorse the conservation of animals than land in Austin, yet equally as likely to endorse the conservation of land and animals in Tanna. Overall, these results reveal similarities and differences in the beliefs that support the conservation of natural resources across populations.

中文翻译：

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保护信念发展中的文化差异

检查不同人群之间关于可持续性的推理差异，可以为了解围绕资源保护的群体规范如何发展提供独特的见解。宗教组织和正规学校等文化机构可以动员社区解决与资源枯竭相关的集体挑战。本研究考察了西方工业化国家（美国德克萨斯州奥斯汀）和非西方自给农业社区（瓦努阿图塔纳）儿童、青少年和成人的保护信念（N = 171；n = 58  7-12岁 ） ‐青少年，n  = 53 名 13-17 岁青少年，n  = 60 名 18-68 岁青少年）。参与者认可或拒绝参与土地和动物保护的四种理由：可持续性、道德、宗教或允许。在这两个人群中，参与者最常认可可持续性理由。在塔纳岛，宗教理由随着年龄的增长而增加，而在奥斯汀，宗教理由则随着年龄的增长而减少。坦尼斯参与者也比奥斯汀参与者更有可能支持多种保护理由。所有理由类型的数据都显示了年龄对两个社区的主要影响；在奥斯汀，对保护的支持随着年龄的增长而减少，但在塔纳岛，随着年龄的增长而增加。在各个年龄段，参与者更有可能支持奥斯汀的动物保护而不是土地保护，但同样也有可能支持塔纳岛的土地和动物保护。总体而言，这些结果揭示了不同人群支持保护自然资源的信念的相似性和差异。