Psychological barriers to urban recycled water acceptance: a review of relevant principles in decision psychology
Carol Nemeroff, Paul Rozin, Brent M. Haddad, Paul Slovic
Abstract
This paper reviews principles from decision psychology relevant to understanding and increasing acceptance of urban recycled water, and supplements existing literature by suggesting an additional factor: adaptation insensitivity. We integrate into our discussion previously unpublished results from a study conducted in 2007, which surveyed 2680 respondents in five American cities, identifying basic psychological features impacting resistance to recycled water. We focus on identifying targets for intervention, including the failure of respondents to realize that, with exposure, they would adapt to recycled water (adaptation insensitivity).
Topics & Concepts
PsychologySociologyBehavioural sciencesLibrary scienceGerontologyEngineeringSocial scienceMedicineComputer scienceEnvironmental Education and SustainabilityRisk Perception and ManagementEconomic and Environmental Valuation