Resources in this document are generally related to how people perceive or value certain environmental topics and resources. Most resources are related to marine and coastal systems, but some are related to broader environmental topics. Many of the resources are analysis or reporting of survey, interview, and focus group data.
Finding specific issue areas may be most effective by searching for keywords on this page.
If there are any resources you think should be included, please contact Lindsey Williams.
Environmental Protection & Policy
Charting a Sustainable Future: Understanding Psychological Investments in the Environment and Implications for Policy Support to Protect the Lamprey River Watershed, Aviste et al 2026 (New Hampshire, Coastal): Survey of residents in the Lamprey River watershed about whether their connection to nature, river engagement, proximity to river, concern for the river, and perceived threat to river determines river-related policy/action support.
Connection to nature, concerns about the river, and perception of threats were found to be positively associated with policy support.
Factors in homeowners’ willingness to adopt nitrogen-reducing innovative/alternative septic systems, Rudman et al 2023 (Massachusetts, Cape Cod): Interviews to understand the motivations of individuals to install nitrogen-reducing innovative/alternative (I/A) septic systems.
The biggest factors that influenced installation were (1) need to replace old septic system (2) environmental concerns (3) monetary incentives. Interview questions available in Table 1.
Considerations for using alternative technologies in nutrient management on Cape Cod: Beyond cost and performance, Mulvaney et al 2022 (Massachusetts, Cape Cod): Interviews of community members involved in decision making in Cape Cod towns to determine factors they considered when choosing between nitrogen reducing technologies- “sewering” and alternative technologies.
Factors include costs, proven nitrogen-reducing capacity, maintenance, monitoring, co-benefits, risk/uncertainty, community culture, community engagement, siting, and permitting/regulations. Interview questions available in the appendix.
Youth Can Promote Marine Debris Concern and Policy Support Among Local Voters and Political Officials, Hartley et al 2021 (North Carolina): Surveys to understand the impact of youth ability to build concern for environmental topics through intergenerational learning in relation to marine debris.
Found that concern/policy support related to marine debris increased after a youth-led civic engagement event.
I’ll be dammed! Public preferences regarding dam removal in New Hampshire, Diessner et al 2020 (New Hampshire, Coastal): Survey of New Hampshire residents and their perceptions of dam removal.
Findings include broad support for dam removal and that political affiliation and age are the two strongest indicators for supporting/opposing dam removal in NH. Survey questions available in Table 1.
Public Support for Environmental Protection, Hamilton, L. 2017 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Survey of New Hampshire residents' levels of support for environmental protection and rules.
“Almost three-quarters think instead that environmental protection rules should be left as they are or strengthened. Large majorities in every category of age, education, and gender favor maintaining or strengthening environmental protection rules.”
Buffer Options for the Bay: Exploring the Trends, the Science, and the Options of Buffer Management in the Great Bay Watershed Key Findings from Available Literature, Flanagan 2017 (New Hampshire, Coastal): Collection of reports related to buffers in communities including social science, natural science, economic assessment, and community assessment. The Literature Review outlines information such as buffer benefits, buffer width information, and buffer case studies. The Community Assessment outlines overarching themes from interviews with stakeholders to examine values, perceptions, and concerns related to buffer support.
Understanding stakeholder preferences for flood adaptation alternatives with natural capital implications, Loos & Rogers 2016 (New Hampshire, Upper Valley): Workshops to assess the openness of various groups to different solutions for addressing flood vulnerabilities in New Hampshire's Upper Valley.
Found that solutions that are known to have higher efficacy and positive environmental impact are most highly valued while aesthetic values ranked lowest. Example of utility theory.
Predicting Intent to Install a Rain Garden to Protect a Local Lake: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior, Shaw et al 2011 (Wisconsin): A study that applies the theory of planned behavior to inform stormwater management outreach campaigns, specifically the intent to install a rain garden, with surveys to understand the impact of the campaigns.
"Attitudes toward rain gardens and subjective norms were positively associated with behavioral intent [to install a rain garden]. Perceived behavioral control was not significantly associated with behavioral intent."
Social science and social capital in the Lamprey River Watershed: A resident survey for community and environmental planning and predicting support for innovative land use, Robertson 2010 (New Hampshire, Lamprey River): Survey on social capital in relation to community and environmental planning.
Found that increasing social activities and trust in the planning process is related to stronger support for open space design, in addition to demographic factors such as "positive environmental behavior, liberal and moderate political affiliations, and education beyond high school." Survey questions in the appendix.
Environmental Value
Retaining Residents Is Important to New Hampshire's Future: Why Do People Stay?, Bundschuh & Johnson 2023 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Survey of why people remain in New Hampshire.
Findings include that 39% of respondents mentioned the natural environment in their open-ended responses.
Cultivating commitment: how cultural ecosystem services affect visitor loyalty attitudes and intention-to-return in parks and protected areas, Ferguson et al 2023 (New Hampshire, Great Bay): Survey exploring how cultural ecosystem services influences visitor loyalty attitudes and intention-to-return at the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR).
Suggests that education and sense of place exert a strong and consistent influence on visitor attitudes regarding referrals, financial support, volunteerism, and advocacy. Related findings also documented in Robison Master’s thesis.
Access to Nature in New Hampshire: Equity and Quality of Life, Crytzer 2023 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Interviews “to understand what access to nature means for people engaged in [various roles in] New Hampshire, to identify benefits, barriers and opportunities of access to nature with a focus on underserved communities, and to contribute data and knowledge to inform [decision making]." Includes a case study of Rochester, NH and highlights the Cocheco River and trails as a frequently identified natural asset.
Coastal Recreation in Southern New England: Results from a Regional Survey, Mazzotta et al 2022 (New England, Coastal): Survey on coastal recreation.
Found “on average, people in the region take 37 trips to recreate on the coast of New England in a year, spending 167 hours per year visiting recreation sites and 66 hours traveling. This adds up to nearly 170.5 million trips from our sample region, 772.4 million hours of recreation time, and 304.6 million hours of travel time."
Quality of Life High in Granite State But More Than Half of Young People Considering Leaving, UNH Survey Center 2021 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Survey of New Hampshire residents on quality of life and youth migration.
The local environment was highly rated for quality of life. Questions available in an appendix.
Why People Move to and Stay in New Hampshire, Johnson & Bundschuh 2020 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Survey of New Hampshire residents to understand why people remain in and move to New Hampshire.
The natural environment was found to be one of the top reasons.
Characteristics that Influence Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Environmental Worldview in the Great Bay Watershed, El-Naboulsi 2018 (New Hampshire, Great Bay): Survey.
Found that nearly 92% of respondents encompassed a pro-environmental worldview and that they valued the drinking water and wildlife habitat ecosystem services significantly more than the flood protection and swimming ecosystem services.” Findings also included “that prior level of knowledge, childhood community type, and distance to conserved areas of land were significant influencers of certain ecosystem services or placement on the New Ecological Paradigm Scale.”
How People Benefit from New Hampshire’s Great Bay Estuary, NOAA Office for Coastal Management 2016 (New Hampshire, Great Bay): Ecosystem service and habitat risk assessment of Great Bay Estuary in relation to oysters, eelgrass, and salt marshes. Includes specific monetary values for ecosystem services provided by oysters, eelgrass, and salt marshes.
Maine & New Hampshire Coastal Resident Survey, Noblet 2016 (New England, New Hampshire, Coastal): Survey focused on the valuation, perceptions, and attitudes of Maine and New Hampshire residents regarding water quality along the Gulf of Maine coast.
Respondents hypothetically support water quality improvement, perceive water quality differently than scientific observations, do not seek beach safety information, believe runoff and wastewater negatively impact water quality, and think residents are responsible for solving coastal problems.
General Environmental Perceptions
Why facts don’t change minds: Insights from cognitive science for the improved communication of conservation research, Toomey 2023 (General): Review that highlights four science communication myths that facts change minds, scientific literacy is the answer, to change behavior you must change individual minds, and big/broad impact is best.
Suggests that effective scientific communication should "engage the social mind for optimal decision-making and understand the power of values/emotions/experience in swaying minds, changing collective behavior, and thinking strategically for biggest impact."
Context matters: The drivers of environmental concern in European regions, Peisker 2023 (Europe): "Survey results indicate that environmental concern increases with income level, a more equal distribution of income and wealth, and a less greenhouse gas-intensive industrial sector. Furthermore, regions with younger and better educated populations exhibit higher levels of environmental concern. In terms of environmental characteristics, both geographical vulnerability to natural hazards and meteorological events affect environmental concern."
Do You Trust Scientists About the Environment? News Media Sources and Politics Affect New Hampshire Resident Views, Hamilton 2014 (New Hampshire): Survey of New Hampshire residents about respondents’ trust of scientists as a source of information about environmental issues.
Found that most residents do trust scientists to provide accurate information on environmental issues.
Early-Life Outdoor Experiences and an Individual's Environmental Attitudes, Ewert et al 2011 (National, Midwest): Survey that explored the "degree to which current environmental beliefs could be explained by early childhood experiences.
Results showed that four of the seven independent variables (appreciative outdoor activities, consumptive outdoor activities, media exposure, and witnessing negative environmental events) explained 14% of the variance in the eco-centric/anthropocentric beliefs.”
Assessing Homeowner Risk and Knowledge in Mitigating Nonpoint Source Pollution in Coastal Watersheds, Robertson & Robertson 2006 (New Hampshire, Coastal, Lamprey River): Survey questions developed and pre-tested but final report on survey results not available. Questions cover topics of water quality perceptions/knowledge and household water-related practices.
Could be helpful resource for anyone considering developing a survey of homeowners in relation to local waterbodies.
Shifting Climate
Majority in NH Feel Summers Are Warmer Than They Used to Be, Human-Caused Climate Change Happening Now, UNH Survey Center 2023 (New Hampshire, Statewide): Survey of New Hampshire residents about perceptions of climate change.
Majority of respondents believe climate change is occurring.
The Slow Dawn of Climate-Change Awareness, and Its Challenge for a Sustainable Planet, Hamilton 2021 (New Hampshire): Survey results that show gradual change in perceptions of whether climate change is human-caused in New Hampshire. Younger generations are more likely to express believing climate change is human-caused and have seen greater time-series increases in that belief compared to older generations.
Seeing and Believing: The Emergent Nature of Extreme Weather Perceptions, Cutler 2015 (Nationwide, coastal): Survey on public perceptions of unusual or extreme weather. Variables analyzed include experience with weather-related property damage, political affiliation, environmental and climate beliefs, socio-economic data, and place-based considerations.
Conservative and Liberal Views of Science, Does Trust Depend on Topic?, Hamilton 2015 (New Hampshire): Survey of New Hampshire residents about trust in science.
Found overall high levels of trust for the following topics across political views: vaccines (71%), climate change (62%), nuclear power (69%), and evolution (63%).
