Impact of Political Identity and Past Crisis Experience on Water Attitudes.

With stories of regional diminishing water resources and tainted municipal water supplies consistently populating the news, a nationwide survey was conducted to gauge overall concern and attitudes toward water scarcity and water pollution, as well as scientists and scientific information regarding water crises. Of particular interest was the question of how political ideology and past experience with scarcity and/or pollution impact pro-water attitudes and intention to exhibit positive water behaviors. Multivariate analyses of data suggest that Liberals are more concerned about water scarcity and pollution and more likely to conserve and combat pollution than their Conservative counterparts. People who have experienced a past water crisis are also more concerned and act more favorably toward water than those without crises experience. The interaction between political ideology and water crises experience is such that Conservatives with experience display more water concern than do Conservatives without experience. Liberals, regardless of experience, exhibit water concern and favorable action. Results offer direction to policy makers, water resource managers, and strategic communicators regarding how constituent audiences can be segmented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]