A study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and The Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies has determined that among Americans, there are nine separate sets of viewpoints regarding environmentally responsible behavior and similar issues. Knowing about these different groups may help designers encourage selection of green options. The groups are:
â â 9%âŠare Liberal Greens. 66% call themselves environmentalistsâŠand they are both very worried about, and highly interested in, environmental issuesâŠ
â Outdoor Greens comprise 10% of the population. They consider themselves to be environmentalists and are also worried about environmental issuesâŠthey tend to spend a lot of time outdoors.
â Religious Browns represent 8% of the American public, are highly religious, and feel the most separated from nature of any groupâŠthey express strongly anti-environmental views.
â Conservative Browns make up 8% of the population andâŠare staunchly anti-environmentalistâŠfew express interest in environmental issues, and most do not believe there is an environmental crisisâŠ
â 14% of Americans are Religious Greens. Religious Greens donât spend much time doing outdoor activities, yet they place a high importance on protecting the environmentâŠand most think the environmental crisis is serious.
â Middle-of-the-Roaders make up 10% of the population. They hold middling environmental opinionsâŠWhile they are concerned about the environment, they like things the way they are and believe technology can solve our environmental problems.
â One in five Americans are HomebodiesâŠHomebodiesâŠmore often than not are apathetic when it comes to environmental issues.
â Outdoor BrownsâŠrepresent 15% of the population. They like to engage in outdoor activities but believe nature and the environment serve a human purpose. TheyâŠare not interested in environmental issues.
â 6% of the population areâŠDisengagedâŠenvironmental issues just do not resonate with them.â
âPublic Opinion and the Environment: The Nine Types of Americans.â 2015.
http://www.apnorc.org/PDFs/Global%20Issues/12-2015%20Segmentation%20Report_D10_DTP%20Formatted_v2b-1a.pdf
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designersâ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before theyâre available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designerâs Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.