Social Perceptions of Environmentalists

What are public perceptions of environmentalists in Canada? For my Master’s dissertation, I used social psychology methods to explore the content and prevalence of environmentalist stereotypes. Stereotypes, beliefs that members of a group possess certain characteristics, are widely understood and communicated within a culture, even amongst individuals who do not believe them to be representative of the group in question (Jackson, 2011). Study participants listed highly similar and largely positive words in association with environmentalists, regardless of their own environmental attitudes. When asked to rate public perceptions of environmentalists, participants provided similar moderate ratings of warmth and competence, and low ratings for status. Perceptions of competition between environmentalists and the public was rated higher amongst non-environmentalists and across some provinces and political ideologies. A better understanding of environmentalist stereotypes may offer insight into resistance to environmental initiatives and conflict in decision-making, thereby contributing to improved public engagement and collaboration.

Reference: Jackson, L. M. (2011). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action. American Psychological Association.

Full dissertation available through UBC:

Williams, E. A. (2017). Content and prevalence of environmentalist stereotypes in Canada : a psychological perspective (T). University of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0354453