Relationships between values,
beliefs, and water-impacting
behaviors in the Great Lakes
watershed
Andrew T. Kozich
Kathleen E. Halvorsen
Michigan Technological University
Acknowledgements
•National Science Foundation GK-12
Fellowship program; Water, Sustainability,
and Climate Change grant (research
funding)
•Ellen Brenna (research assistance)
•Michigan Technological University Center
for Water and Society, School of Forest
Resources and Environmental Science,
IASNR (conference travel funding)
Introduction
• The Great Lakes watershed
• Economic, ecological, and cultural importance
• 20% of global surface freshwater supplies (EPA 2011)
• 8 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces
• Great Lakes Compact
• Climate change
• Impacts of humans on water quality and quantity
(www.barbara-spring.blogspot.com)
Literature Review
• Perceptions of water resources:
• Depend on the water source
• Related to development
• Vary with proximity to water
• Often differ between rural and urban residents
(Berenguer et.al. 2005; Brody et.al. 2004; DeLorme et.al.
2003; Nassauer et.al. 2004; Pumphrey et.al. 2008; Stedman
and Hammer 2006; Suvedi et.al. 2000)
Literature Review (cont.)
• Water-related beliefs and behaviors:
• Often difficult to explain
• Related to standard of living
• Water typically considered a right or a good
• Few motivations to conserve
• Water problems: Typically the fault of “others”
(Corral-Verdugo et.al. 2002; Corral-Verdugo et.al. 2003;
DeOliver 1999; Elizondo and Lofthouse 2010; Harlan et.al.
2009; Kaplowitz and Kerr 2003; Lam 1999; Lam 2006)
Literature Review (cont.)
• Great Lakes watershed
• Lakes: Concern over water-impacting development,
invasive species, lake levels, fish
• Rivers/streams: Preference for natural appearance
• Wetlands: Conflicting values and beliefs
• Groundwater: Knowledge/perception is mixed
• Little known about consumption beliefs/behaviors
(Kaplowitz and Kerr 2003; Nassauer et.al. 2004; Stedman and
Hammer 2006; Suvedi et.al. 2000)
Literature Review (cont.)
• Knowledge gaps:
• Relevant research mostly conducted in arid
environments and/or developing nations
• Few studies have looked at background
variables in relation to behavior-relevant beliefs
• Little is known about how water-related beliefs,
values, or behaviors may be impacted by climate
change
(Fishbein and Ajzen 2010)
Background factors
Normative
beliefs
Control
beliefs
Behavioral
beliefs
Perceived
norms
Perceived
behavioral
control
Attitude
towards the
behavior
Intention
Behavior
(Fishbein and Ajzen 2010)
Background factors
• Characteristics of local environment (rural/urban)
• Type of residential water service (city/well)
• Characteristics of local water resources
• Proximity to water resources
• Degree of water-related recreation
• Ecological knowledge
• Environmental concern
• Perception of water as a right
• Residence attributes
• Apartment/house/farm, size of home and lot
• Number of people and cars in household
Hypotheses
1. People value larger or more visible water
resources more than smaller or less visible ones.
2. People who live close to water resources value
them more than people who live far from water
resources.
3. People who believe others are conserving water
will be more likely to conserve water than people
who believe others are not conserving water
Research Design
• Semi-structured interviews
• 30-50 randomly-selected residents
• 6 case studies within basin
• Varying settings (rural/urban) and distance from the
nearest Great Lake
• Mail survey: 500-1000 residents
• Analysis: Regression model using SPSS to test hypotheses
and conceptual model
Implications of Research
• Gain insight into origins of values and beliefs related
to water resources
• Explain how values and beliefs may or may not be
related to water-impacting behaviors
• Quantify the predictive ability of relevant background
factors
Implications of Research
• Characterize peoples’ perceptions of water
resources in a water-rich environment
• Indicate which types of water resources may be at
the greatest risk of negative impacts from human
behaviors
• Gain insight into how people may or may not modify
water-related behaviors in response to effects of
climate change
Thanks!....Questions?