Examining Normative Influences on Intentions to Reduce Irrigated Landscape Area through a Compliance and Belonging Lens

Abstract

This study sought to disentangle distinctions of social norms that can be used to address residential overuse of irrigation water. Nuances of social norms pertaining to eliminating 1/3 of a household’s irrigated landscape were examined by comparing generalized, expectancy-based, and value-expectancy beliefs with electronic survey data from 315 adults in Florida, USA. Spearman’s correlations were used to evaluate relationships and ordinal regression was used to examine the predictive capacity of generalized, expectancy-based, and value-expectancy models. The generalized model fit best, with generalized descriptive norms as the more powerful predictor, implying descriptive norms should be used as a route to increase behavioral engagement. People working on water issues are encouraged to use social norms strategies to promote awareness of others’ reduction of irrigated landscape to increase participation in water conservation. Findings revealed an important challenge in that generalized descriptive norms are specific to an individual’s important persons rather than named referent groups.