The challenge of self-enhancement bias for educational programs designed to encourage natural shorelines

Abstract

This study proposed and found support for a potential barrier to successful implementation of programs designed to promote natural shorelines along residential property. Increased residential development around lakeshores in the Upper Midwest is associated with reduced wildlife habitat, lower biodiversity, and degraded water quality compared to undeveloped shorelines. Property owners can reduce the impact of shoreline development through personal choices, such as planting native vegetation or allowing natural flora to regrow. Various educational programs encouraging more natural shorelines have been implemented; however, evaluative research on their success and studies about improving these programs are scant. This study explored how the phenomenon of self-enhancement bias may cause property owners to over-estimate the natural state of their shorelines, preventing remedial action they otherwise might take if a more accurate self-assessment were available. Surveys were mailed to 212 property owners on 2 lakes in northwest Wisconsin. Biologists’ assessments of the “naturalness” of each property parcel's shoreline were compared with survey data from residents indicating their own perceptions about how natural their shorelines were. Results revealed that residents evaluated their own shorelines significantly more natural than did the biologists. This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that self-enhancement bias may be a barrier to educational programs designed to encourage more natural shorelines among lakeshore property owners. Based on these findings, the authors offer recommendations for lake and water resource managers to potentially improve the efficacy of such programs.