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| Submitter's Name |
Chandra Bowden |
| Session Name |
Poster Session: Science, stakeholders and decision-making |
| Poster Number |
12 |
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| Author(s) |
Chandra Bowden, University of Florida (Presenting Author) |
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Alexa Lamm,
Center for Public Issues and Education, University of Florida |
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Tracy Irani, Center for Public Issues and Education, University of Florida |
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The relationship between perceived government influence and water preservation behaviors of Floridian residents |
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Previous research has demonstrated that Americans are concerned about water quality and feel that the government should play a role in ensuring protection of natural resources. There have been few studies, however, that elucidate how perceptions of the government’s approach to environmental policy impacts citizens’ engagement in water-preserving behaviors. Water preservation behaviors include water conserving behaviors (e.g., not irrigating lawn during rain events) and well as water protecting behaviors (e.g., not pouring grease down the drain). It is important to explore this relationship as government environmental policy (e.g., water restriction days) has a systematic influence on all citizens. The objective of this study is to determine how perceptions of government control in environmental policy predict frequency of water preservation behaviors. An online survey was distributed to a group of Florida residents representative of the population in December 2012 using a panel created by a national market research firm. 469 responses were collected from participants who represent the geographic, age, gender, and race/ethnicity distributions comparable to the 2010 population Census of Florida. We hypothesize that an increase in perceived government support will be positively associated with an increase in water preservation behaviors, and that an increase in perceived government control will be negatively associated with an increase in water preservation behaviors. |
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