Abstract
We examined socially influential residents’ beliefs about pro-environmental outreach in a Midwestern city, identifying factors influencing willingness to participate in an urban water quality outreach campaign. The sample included self-identified leaders (opinion leaders) residing in neighborhoods surrounding a small urban lake. Participants answered questions about using less salt on sidewalks and driveways, removing leaves from the street before it rains, allowing rainwater to soak into the ground on their property, and encouraging neighbors to do these behaviors. Favorable beliefs about outreach and experience with outreach were associated with greater willingness to do pro-environmental outreach. Favorable beliefs about pro-environmental behaviors and experience with pro-environmental behaviors were not associated with willingness to do pro-environmental outreach. We discuss how understanding opinion leaders’ beliefs about pro-environmental outreach and navigating their misgivings about reaching out to their neighbors can inform campaigns fostering neighborhood water advocacy and outreach.
Acknowledgments
The research protocol obtained a determination of exemption under U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Title 45: Part 46 from the UW-Madison Institutional Review Board (IRB). The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the granting entities. Portions of this research were submitted as part of the requirements for a master’s degree at UW-Madison. Susan Day, Marian Farrior, Bradley Herrick, Christy Lowney, Gail Epping Overholt, Barry Radler, Nancy Sheehan, Sijia Yang, and several anonymous reviewers provided comments on this research.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data Availability Statement
Participants in this study did not give consent for their data to be shared publicly.
Notes
1 See Introduction Supplement 1 for additional study background.