Norm Activation Theory and human waste education in recreational settings

The purpose of this study is to examine how the public perceives human waste impacts in natural areas and the effects it has on recreation experiences. The study will utilize Shalom Schwartz's Norm Activation Theory (1968) to assess relationships between peoples' values, attitudes, norms, intentions, and behaviors related to human waste disposal in wildland settings. Understanding these cognitive processes will help determine the likely success of persuasion methods to reduce the impacts of human waste in wildland settings.;The research for this study included a few key components to assess human waste impacts. First was the administration of surveys to user groups camping and recreating along a popular beach site on Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska. Piles of excrement were counted and recorded bi-weekly in the woods surrounding the research area. Posters were put in place midway through the study to determine if indirect education influenced users' awareness of consequences of the behavior or condition (AC) and the extent that they ascribe responsibility for the behavior or conditions (AR). Initial results have shown that the poster had a small effect on user's behavior and awareness of waste management issues, and that the distribution of human waste followed a pattern of accumulation. The significance is that a norm for human waste disposal in front country settings has not been fully developed and has room for improvement.