Dealing with information about complex issues : the role of source perceptions

This thesis focuses on how the way people deal with information about complex issues depends of their perceptions of sources that provide the relevant information. The complex issue under consideration throughout this thesis is that of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). In short, CCS involves the capture of carbon dioxide in power plants, the transportation of the carbon dioxide to underground storage sites (e.g., depleted gas fields), and its subsequent storage in these sites. Overall, the current thesis shows that in order for communication about complex issues to be effective, relevant information sources need to be trusted. When trust in information sources is lacking, people’s information selection and their information evaluations are affected in a negative way, with detrimental consequences for the impressions of the issue people form. Additionally, the present work demonstrated the surplus value of having divergent sources provide information in collaboration, instead of separately. Findings are discusses in terms of their theoretical value for the literature on communication, and in terms of their applied value for designers of information campaigns.LEI Universiteit LeidenSocial decision makin

Het meten van de gevolgen van aardbevingen op de leefbaarheid in Groningen: een methodologische review naar leefbaarheidsonderzoeken. Universiteit Utrecht/Universiteit Leiden onderzoeksrapport in opdracht van Nationaal Coördinator Groningen (NCG)

Social decision makin

How cat-behavior advisors can improve clients’ willingness to adopt their advice: an investigation of advice severity, advisor credibility, and clients’ self-identity

Feline behavioral problems can be treated successfully by good advice from cat-behavior advisors, but guardians often do not comply with their advice. An experimental survey under 703 cat guardians was used to investigate what advisors can do to increase their clients’ compliance with environmental enrichment advice. By systematically varying the credibility of the advisor and the severity of their advice, the hypothesis was confirmed that highly credible advisors elicit more positive attitudes and compliance intentions than less credible advisors. Also as expected, mild advice resulted in stronger compliance intentions than severe advice because guardians believed they were better able to incorporate the required actions. Finally, guardians who more strongly thought of themselves as cat guardians were more likely to adopt the advice because they believed that other cat guardians would do the same. The investigation of factors that can increase cat guardians’ compliance with advisors’ recommendations for the treatment of behavioral problems is crucial because the wellbeing of domestic cats lies in the hands of their guardians. Several practical recommendations for cat-behavior advisors are offered.Social decision makin

How do people perceive carbon capture and storage for industrial processes?: Examining factors underlying public opinion in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Carbon Capture and Storage at industrial processes (industrial CCS) is expected to play an important role in reducing industrial CO2 emissions in the short term. Industrial CCS involves capturing CO2 from industrial processes, such as steel and cement making, and storing the CO2 underground. This study examined the public opinion of industrial CCS through an informed opinion survey in the Netherlands (N = 987) and the United Kingdom (UK; N = 974). On average, respondents were neutral to slightly positive about the implementation of industrial CCS in their country. UK respondents were slightly more positive (M = 4.66 on a 7-point scale) than Dutch respondents (M = 4.38). Awareness and perceived knowledge levels were somewhat higher in the Netherlands than in the UK. In both countries, perceived outcomes of industrial CCS (e.g. for climate change; safety; employment) were strongly associated with industrial CCS opinion, when compared to socio-demographics, proximity to industry (actual and perceived), and psychological variables. Differences between countries in outcome perceptions occur. For example, the safety of CO2 transport is a larger concern in the Netherlands than in the UK, while cost-control is a larger concern in the UK than in the Netherlands. These findings suggest that the national context for CCS implementation matters. Our research suggests that public engagement strategies will benefit from focusing on the economic and climate impacts of industrial CCS, as well as from building trust in industry and addressing perceived safety concerns surrounding different aspects of industrial CCS.Social decision makin

Veilige toegang en verantwoord delen: psychologische determinanten van veilig wachtwoordgedrag en het veilig online delen van persoonsgegevens. KCPEG onderzoeksrapport in opdracht van WODC

Social decision makin

Verduurzaming loyaliteitsprogramma's: onderzoeksrapport

TESE115007Social decision makin

Managing phone use while driving: will switching to silent mode suffice?

Social decision makin

Host community compensation in a carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) context: comparing the preferences of Dutch citizens and local government authorities

The prospect of negative local impacts in combination with the absence of local benefits can be a reason for people to oppose plans for the siting of a carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) project in their community. Local public opposition may be reduced by implementing compensation measures that redress the balance between perceived local costs and benefits. Here, we examine evaluations and relative preferences of Dutch citizens and local government authorities (LGAs) concerning five different types of compensation measures. The results of a survey experiment show that citizens and LGAs were equally (and most) positive about the establishment of a fund for the compensation of damage or other negative local impacts associated with nearby CCS activities. They differed in how they judged the other measures though: Citizens were more positive about compensation in the form of measures to improve the local economy, monetary payments to individual households, and improvements to local recreational amenities; LGAs were more positive about a grant to local government. Citizens assumed that LGAs would be more positive about four of the five compensation measures than they actually were, whereas LGAs performed very well in estimating the judgments of citizens. Implications for compensation policy are discussed.Social decision makin

Why do public responses to CCUS matter if CO₂ is stored offshore?

Social decision makin

It matters to be heard: increasing the citizen acceptance of low-carbon technologies in the Netherlands and United Kingdom

The deployment of low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) and onshore wind is essential to mitigate climate change, but may be met with resistance from local residents. In two experimental surveys (Study 1: Dutch citizens, N = 395; Study 2: United Kingdom citizens, N = 240) we investigated the importance of the quality of the voice opportunity offered to local residents in the decision-making process for acceptance of CCUS (Study 1) and onshore wind (Study 2) projects. Participants read a scenario in which they were asked to put themselves in the position of a resident in a town near which a project developer planned to implement a CCUS or onshore wind project. Depending on the experimental condition, participants read that they, as local residents, could voice their opinion and that their input was considered (genuine voice) or was not considered (pseudo voice) by the developer, or that they could not voice their opinion (no voice). As predicted, giving local residents a genuine voice opportunity resulted in higher project acceptance compared to giving a pseudo voice or no voice opportunity, due to an increase in perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. Results further showed that giving a pseudo voice opportunity can be equally detrimental as giving no voice opportunity at all. The findings underline the importance of genuine voice opportunities and show that policymakers and project developers should avoid voice opportunities where residents' input is seemingly ignored.</p