Antecedent precipitation as a methodological concern in attitude surveys on water conservation

Are precipitation cycles a factor in analyses of water conservation attitudes? This article reports a post hoc analysis of two independently generated data sets examining water conservation attitudes in Reno, Nevada, in 1994 and 1997 (dry and wet years, respectively). Six attitudinal and behavior variables are contrasted across time (attitude toward water conservation, self‐efficacy for water conservation, perceived social normative pressure, reported conservation behavior, percentage of yard in grass, and perceived value of landscaping), controlling for three demographic variables that shifted significantly across the time span (income, single family home occupancy, and home value). Results confirm expectations of more positive attitudes toward water conservation and less variance in those attitudes during the dry period, as well as a stronger attitude‐behavior correlation then. While unmeasured variables could be at play, results suggest that precipitation could be an important factor to consider when investigating attitude‐behavior associations for water conservation.