Experience is Key: Examining the Relative Importance of Factors Influencing Individuals’ Water Conservation

Holland, Derrick; Janét, Kristina; Landrum, Asheley R.

doi:10.3390/w11091870

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…In regions where there is water scarcity, respondents show higher levels of involvement and WCDB compared to areas of non-scarcity. This result supports prior studies [7,13,56], which show that in regions with water shortage people are more likely to be part of water conservation behaviours. However, we find that the credibility and risk perception are similar in both water contexts.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…For example, a study conducted in Australia finds a negative relationship between personal involvement in water practices and the daily rate of water consumption [22]. Furthermore, Holland et al [7] supported by experiential learning theory [55] claim that people who are personally involved in a given issue, for example in an environmental problem such as drought, tend to act to conserve water. This involvement results from having experienced the problem in the past.…”

Section: Personal Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This political use of water information can threaten the credibility of information perceived by people, since it decreases the ability to differentiate between truthful or untruthful information [24]. As noted by Holland et al [7] political views strongly influence attitudes towards environmental issues, such as the lack of water availability and its perception as an environmental problem. A sound assumption, therefore, is that in areas of Spain where water is scarce, perceived message credibility has a weaker influence on both WCDB and risk perception (H1a and H2a).…”

Section: Differences Between Water Contexts In Spain: Scarcity Vs Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, Whitmarsh [62] finds that individuals living in regions with a high threat of danger rely more on their internal reasons than on external information when making decisions to reduce risk (H4a). Second, individuals who have personally experienced periods of drought perceive the negative consequences of excessive-water consumption as a salient problem [7,52,63]. In such situations, people are more concerned about water problems [64], which can increase the levels of involvement in water conservation activities (H5a), and make more frequent WCDB (H3a) [56].…”

Section: Differences Between Water Contexts In Spain: Scarcity Vs Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social sciences literature has identified that household water demand is influenced by a plethora of psychological, social/cultural factors, and socio-demographic characteristics, which should be taken into account when developing these water conservation strategies and policies [4][5][6][7]. In this sense, although conservation behaviour results from an intrinsic disposition to act, the water context may promote, encourage, or impose specific water conservation behaviours [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Water Context Matter in Water Conservation Decision Behaviour?

Rodríguez-Sánchez

Sarabia-Sánchez

2020

Sustainability

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This study examines whether water scarcity context affects water conservation decision behaviour. We do this analysing a decision model that includes perceived message credibility, water consumption risk, and personal involvement variables. The sample consists of residents of more than 20 Spanish cities, and contexts of water scarcity (n = 420) and non-scarcity (n = 217) are compared. Spain was chosen because it is one of the most water-stressed (difference between consumption and reserves) countries in Europe, and water scarcity is a key factor affecting water conservation efforts. We employ regression analysis with partial least squares (PLS) and multi-group techniques. Two relevant findings can be highlighted. First, the most relevant variable in the model is personal involvement in water conservation practices. Second, although in general our model is not sensitive to the water scarcity context, we observe that individuals living in areas with water scarcity report greater levels of personal involvement and water conservation decision behaviour. We conclude by providing the implications for water managers and policymakers and suggesting avenues for future research.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Personal Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differences Between Water Contexts In Spain: Scarcity Vs Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differences Between Water Contexts In Spain: Scarcity Vs Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Water Context Matter in Water Conservation Decision Behaviour?

Rodríguez-Sánchez

Sarabia-Sánchez

2020

Sustainability

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Homeowner perceptions of watering restriction scenarios in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area

Barnes

Yue

Watkins

2021

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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Turfgrass-dominated residential yardscapes are an important component of urban ecological landscapes. These spaces provide a multitude of benefits both ecological (e.g., water filtration) and social (e.g., recreation). However, yardscapes can require significant amounts of input such as fertilizers, herbicides, and more critically water. Residential outdoor water use has been extensively studied in water-scarce areas (e.g., southwestern United States) but water supply issues are also beginning to impact previously water-rich regions. One tool a municipality can use to control water usage is residential watering restrictions. Despite past research on the outcomes of such watering restrictions, few studies have tried to understand the perceptions of how homeowners subject to such restrictions feel about them. The current study addresses two critical gaps: first to understand homeowner perceptions of common watering restriction types and their likelihood to water, and second to expand the geographic scope of water use research by targeting a nonwater-scarce area. We conducted an online survey of homeowners in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (TCMA) in Minnesota. Overall, homeowners held moderately favorable views towards three theoretical restriction scenarios and were about equally as likely to water across scenarios compared to no restrictions. Attitudes and perceptions of restrictions saving water drove favorability; conversely, the presence of irrigation systems predicted increased watering likelihood across scenarios. Strategies to reduce water use and achieve conservation goals in nonwater-scarce areas should include assessment of resident perceptions of watering restrictions alongside sustained education campaigns. WATER SCARCITY AND RESIDENTIAL YARDSWater scarcity issues are a problem on a global scale, with an estimated half a billion to four billion people living in areas that are or will become water scarce (Gosling & Arnell, 2016;Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2016). Water scarcity is driven by resource availability combined with demand (Vörösmarty Abbreviations: TCMA, Twin Cities metropolitan area.

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Are advertising campaigns for water conservation in Latin America persuasive? A mixed-method approach

Sánchez,

Bianchi,

Rodriguez-Sanchez

et al. 2023

Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark

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The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for an urgent reduction of global water footprint. Communication is crucial to respond to this call. However, most water conservation communication campaigns use the knowledge deficit model and overlook persuasive techniques. This paper presents a mixed-method approach consisting of exploratory sequential qualitative (content) analysis followed by a quantitative (cluster) analysis. This approach was used to explore the communication strategies of 95 advertisements promoting water conservation in Latin America. Four widely used persuasion frameworks were analyzed: (1) the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), (2) prospect theory (gains vs. losses), (3) the action framework (i.e., do more vs. take less), and (4) the temporal distance frame. Regarding persuasive characteristics (ELM model), most ads excluded behavioral beneficiaries (58%) and included explicit (60%) and active (52%) messages. Virtually all ads (87%) had a denotative message. Surprisingly, only 3% and 43% of ads used social norms and an authority source, respectively. Regarding the communication strategy, 44% of ads used a loss frame, and 59% focused on the current generation. Cluster analysis was used to classify the sample of ads into homogeneous groups. This analysis leads to a better understanding of the profile of campaigns promoting water conservation. Four advertising profiles were identified: (1) Persuade to act (29%), (2) Motivate without scaring (35%), (3) Raise awareness of water problems (19%), and (4) Warn of water problems (17%). The paper offers a discussion of the implications for social marketers and directions for future research on how to design effective communication campaigns.

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Experience is Key: Examining the Relative Importance of Factors Influencing Individuals’ Water Conservation

Cited by 13 publications

References 43 publications

Does Water Context Matter in Water Conservation Decision Behaviour?

Does Water Context Matter in Water Conservation Decision Behaviour?

Homeowner perceptions of watering restriction scenarios in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area

Are advertising campaigns for water conservation in Latin America persuasive? A mixed-method approach

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