CONFLICT IN CLAYOQUOT SOUND - USING THEMATIC CONTENT-ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND PSYCHOLOGICAL-ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROVERSY

The present study examined the information campaigns of groups involve d in the Clayoquot land-use debate for the presence of motivational an d cognitive factors that may undermine the qualify of forest land-use discussions. Integrative complexity, motive imagery (need for achievem ent, affiliation, and power) and value pluralism were measured in the publicity campaigns of 7 groups (3 environmentalist, a forest industry advocacy group, a forest company, the B.C. government, and a governme nt-appointed forestry advisory panel). The campaigns were generally ch aracterized by low levels of integrative complexity and of affiliation and achievement imagery, and high levels of power imagery. The comple xity of the combined texts of the government and the advisory panel (M = 1.96) were significantly higher in integrative complexity (p < .05) than those of the environmental groups (M = 1.49). The complexity sco re of the forest industry advocates fell between those of the above gr oups (M = 1.80), and did not differ significantly from either. The val ues endorsed by the environmental and forest industry advocacy groups were non-overlapping, whereas the government/advisory texts contained values that overlapped with those of both advocacy groups, and had sig nificantly (p = .02) higher levels of achievement imagery.