Conceptualization and Measurement of Catch-and-Release Norms

We used a structural model to describe social norms that identify an emerging catch-and-release norm. The norm for the entire sample of anglers showed low intensity and consensus, suggesting no general norm. However, a cluster analysis of ratings for keeping all or proportions of fish identified three clusters with different norms toward catch-and-release. The first cluster (25%) supported catch-and-release, the second (23%) was against, and the third (52%) had a mixed norm. Preferences for an individual’s own behavior serve as a personal norm motivating individual actions, and aggregate preferences provide a social standard for each cluster. This analysis helps bridge the divide between the standards and motivational approaches to norms. Those with a personal catch-and-release norm differed in age, technique, species preference, and catch-orientation attitudes. The age effect suggests a cohort influence where the norm spreads as younger anglers replace older anglers.