From Motivations to Mobilization: Nudging, Regulatory Dispositions, and Citizen Science Engagement for Ecological and Public Health Monitoring

This doctoral dissertation examines the psychological and behavioral drivers of citizen science engagement in the context of ecological and public health monitoring, with a focus on invasive mosquito surveillance. It does so through three interrelated studies. The first study compares two citizen science initiatives, Mosquito Alert (digital) and Mückenatlas (analog), to explore how platform modality shapes participant demographics, motivations, and expressions of sentiment. The second study investigates how individual regulatory orientations, based on Regulatory Focus Theory, influence patterns of engagement, revealing that prevention-focused individuals are more likely to demonstrate sustained participation. The third study builds on these findings to test the effects of motivationally tailored nudges, framed in either prevention or promotion terms, on volunteer reporting behavior within a live digital citizen science platform. The dissertation concludes that aligning communication strategies with participants' regulatory focus can enhance engagement and data contribution. The central argument is that psychological dispositions and behavioral framings significantly affect who participates, how they stay involved, and the quality of their contributions. These findings challenge one-size-fits-all models of citizen science engagement and offer evidence-based strategies for designing more inclusive and sustainable participatory monitoring initiatives.