Using Measurements of Human Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes asPredictors for Water-Impacting Behaviors in the Great Lakes Watershed

Andrew T. KozichMichigan Technological University

School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Importance of Research

Great Lakes water resources face a wide range of threats. High-profile legal battles occur over impacts to water quality and quantity. Policies to protect water resources are constantly being developed and evaluated. For policies to be effective, it is critical to understand the public’s perceptions of Great Lakes water resources and how their behaviors may impact them. My mixed-methods research process will provide a comprehensive characterization of how residents’ values, beliefs, and perceived norms may predict water-impacting behaviors. Understanding these relationships will help to develop programs to encourage conservation, create policies that are the most likely to be supported, and ensure the sustainability of our fantastic water resources.

(Complete bibliography available upon request)

Overview

The Great Lakes watershed is perhaps the most water-rich region in the world, supporting countless species and providing billions of dollars to regional economies. Long-term sustainability of the ecosystem will require management strategies that consider the water-impacting behaviors of residents. However, surprisingly little is known about these behaviors or how they could be related to personal values, beliefs, and societal norms. My research addresses this knowledge gap by examining potential value/belief/behavior relationships using a conceptual model expanded from the Theory of Planned Behavior. I also examine how peoples’ water-related values could vary by the type of water resource, their proximity to water, and their perceptions of water rights.

Literature Review

Human behaviors can negatively impact water resources, with problems resulting from invasive species, wetland losses, stream alteration, groundwater contamination, wastes and pollution, and excessive withdrawals (Mahler et.al. 2005; Nassauer et.al. 2004; Stedman and Hammer 2006). Conflicts often arise between users who compete for what they perceive to be equitable distributions of water (Pumphrey et.al. 2008; Syme et.al. 1999). These problems occur regardless of water abundance or human wealth.

Many people do not believe their behaviors negatively impact water resources, or blame others for water problems (DeOliver 1999). Water-impacting behaviors may not necessarily reflect values, as water is often perceived as a right instead of a limited resource (DeOliver 1999; Lam 1999). Many are unlikely to adopt water-friendly behaviors without the motivation to do so (Corral-Verdugo et.al. 2002). In this context, the Theory of Planned Behavior suggests that individuals’ water-impacting behaviors could be based upon a range of conservation values, beliefs, and social norms (Ajzen 1991). It appears people face a conflict between the perceived moral obligation to conserve and the perceived right to consume (Trumbo and O’Keefe 2001).

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Methods

Data will be collected in two stages. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 50 randomly-selected Great Lakes residents, with questions that apply to each element of the conceptual model. Interviews allow informants to elaborate on areas of particular interest, which results in a wealth of deep, qualitative data. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded.

Interview data will help mold questions to be used in a subsequent mail survey. Surveys will randomly be sent to 1000 residents in the watershed. Results will be entered into a regression model using SPSS and GIS to test the hypotheses and the conceptual model. Non-respondents will be contacted with a sub-set of questions to test for bias.

Conceptual ModelItems in green boxes represent my expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1991). These are commonly known as “background factors” that may influence individuals’ values regarding the behavior in

question (for my purposes, water-impacting behaviors). These items will become variables incorporated into a regression model to quantify predictors of water-impacting intentions and behaviors.

Do people value rivers and lakes more than wetlands or groundwater? If so, the

Theory of Planned Behavior suggests that wetlands and groundwater are at higher risks for negative impacts from

human behaviors.

Does water-related recreation influence peoples’ values of water resources? If so, policy-makers may want to target educational messages towards those who do not regularly get out and enjoy

water in nature.

(Images: Kozich)

Do people who live close to water value it more than people who live far from water? To what extent do people believe their personal behaviors impact water resources?

Do the characteristics of a person’s local environment (rural or urban) influence their water-related values?

Do people consider water to be an unlimited resource?

Should people be able to use as much water as they want, as long

as they pay for it?

Do residents with wells and septic systems value water differently

than residents on city water services?

(Image: www.sciencedaily.com).