Lunch seminar within tourism studies

Submission: Arash Akhshik (Jagiellonian University, Poland), Marianna Strzelecka (Linnaeus University, Sweden), Hossein Olya (Sheffield University , UK)

Title: Leveraging AI and big data to protect the environment from visitor’s misbehaviors: An Extension of Neutralization theory

Our study pioneers the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics with neutralization theory supported by evolutionary psychology to analyze and understand misbehaviors among river visitors, utilizing social media content as a primary data source. We identify novel neutralization techniques not previously classified, contributing to a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms underpinning environmental misbehavior. By employing a complex AI-assisted methodology, the research offers insights into the motivations behind such actions, revealing the impact of evolutionary biases on contemporary environmental challenges. This approach not only advances the theoretical framework surrounding tourist misbehavior but also underlines the potential of AI and big data in addressing environmental challenges, marking a steppingstone in the interdisciplinary study of human behavior and environmental protection. 

The paper (under a different title) will be presented at Tourism and Travel Research Association Annual International Conference, Burlington, Vermont, 11-13 June, 2024.