Moving Beyond the “Yuck Factor”: Measuring Brain Responses to Water Reuse Terms and Determining if Natural Environmental Images Change Responses

One major obstacle to water reuse is consumers’ negative perceptions of recycled water, or the “yuck factor.” This project leverages expertise in water reuse, communication, and cutting-edge neural activity measurements to move beyond self-reported perceptions of water reuse terms, with the long-term goal of improving public acceptance of recycled water for agricultural irrigation.

Dr. Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein describes her BBI-funded collaboration with Dr. Edward Bernat on reactions to water reuse terminology.

Abstract

As climate change and population growth increasingly stress the nation’s freshwater resources, government agencies and scientists have recognized the importance of water reuse (the beneficial use of recycled water). Although water experts understand the importance of water reuse, a documented challenge is consumers’ negative perceptions of recycled water, or the “yuck factor.” To date, the limited data on consumer perceptions of water reuse terms comes from self-report (e.g., surveys). We will leverage our team’s expertise in water reuse, communication, and cutting-edge neural activity measurements to move beyond self-reported perceptions of water reuse terms. Our long-term goal is to improve public acceptance of recycled water for agricultural irrigation.