Lawrence J. Axelrod

Responding to environmental concerns: What factors guide individual action?

Abstract The utility of beliefs regarding the motivational role played by three classes of outcomes in predicting environmentally-concerned behavior was examined with survey data collected from two samples—undergraduate students and community residents. The three classes of outcome desires were those related to obtaining tangible rewards, those pertaining to social acceptance, and outcomes derived from acting in accordance with ones deeply held principles. General attitudes toward the natural environment and environmental protection, issue importance, level of perceived threat, and efficacy beliefs were also measured. Multiple regression analyses indicated that desires regarding principled and social outcomes explained a significant amount of variance in behavioral reports for the student sample, whereas desires related to tangible outcomes did so with the community sample. In support of a multivariate approach to the study of environmentally-concerned behavior, threat perception, issue importance, and efficacy constructs also accounted for a significant portion of variance in behavioral reports. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

Perceived ecological risks of global change: A psychometric comparison of causes and consequences

Abstract Clarifying lay views is a crucial step in characterizing the “social construct” of global change. This article discusses lay perceptions of ecological risks associated with three global environmental change processes: (a) climate change, (b) ozone depletion, and (c) species loss. A psychometric risk perception study obtained judgements from 68 subjects about 65 ecological risk items in terms of 31 scales. The findings show that sources of the three global change processes (eg refrigeration) are viewed quite differently than are the consequences (eg ozone depletion). There seems to be a persistent lack of connection in judgements regarding causes and consequences. Several possible explanations for these patterns are discussed. Implications of these patterns are considered in terms of possible policy responses, and improved risk communication strategies.

Perceptions of ecological risk from natural hazards

This study examines lay perceptions of ecological risk (risk to the health and productivity of natural environments) associated with natural hazards. Ratings of 30 specific characteristics influencing risk judgments and one general risk assessment were obtained from 68 survey respondents for five natural hazards, as well as 28 technologically based hazards. Analyses revealed that the set of natural hazards, on average, were perceived to pose a moderate degree of ecological risk, similar to the set of technological hazards. However, perceptions of natural hazards differed greatly from technological hazards in terms of numerous risk characteristics. In general, natural hazards were seen as having less impact on ecosystems and on species, offering less benefits to human society, having less impact on humans, and being far less avoidable. Additional comparisons are reported, and implications for risk management and communication are discussed.

Technology, capitalism, and christianity: Are they really the three horsemen of the eco-collapse?

Abstract This paper examines the evidence concerning the frequent accusation that technology, capitalism, and Christianity—three bases of modern Western society—are root causes of environmental degradation. A critical assessment indicates that, although these aspects of the present-day world are associated with failures to protect the environment, labeling them as causal factors contradicts known facts. A major theme of the paper is the combined application of scientific and folk wisdom in addressing environmental issues. An attempt is made to synthesize different positions, and the implications for environmental psychology are discussed.

Public perceptions regarding water quality and attitudes toward water conservation in the lower Fraser Basin

This paper concerns public judgments regarding water quality, public attitudes about water conservation, and related issues in the Lower Fraser Basin of southwest British Columbia, Canada. A written survey was administered to 183 lay subjects in four communities within the Lower Fraser Basin. The results show that subjects generally perceive water quality in specific water bodies as worse than indicated in technical studies of those water bodies. Respondents also indicated a high willingness to engage in water conservation activities. Discussion and conclusions complete the paper.

Perceptions of risk to humans and to nature: a research plan

Managing risk to human health and safety has, over the past two decades, become a dominant theme in government policy, public debate, media attention and academic research. A striking feature of this growth has been the increased role of social scientists (working in perception, judgment and decision-making) in debates that were initially characterized as completely based in science and technology. Examples include applications of risk-perception research (Slovic, 1987), development of normative theories regarding equity in public risk (Keeney, 1980), emergence of risk communication as a field of endeavor and research (National Research Council, 1989), characterization of ‘mental models’ of how lay-people and experts think about health risk decisions (Bostrom et al., 1992), preparation of environmental impact statements (Gregory et al., 1992), and integration of perception into the evaluation of risk-management options (McDaniels et al., 1992). The application of social and decision sciences in problems of risk management has thus been substantial.