SELF-PRESENTATIONAL BARRIERS TO RESOURCE CONSERVATION

Four experiments examined the attributional consequences of engaging i n conservation-oriented behavior. Based an symbolic interactionist and self-presentational theory, it was hypothesized that behaviors associ ated with resource conservation would tend to affect the perceived sta tus of the performer and would lead to systematic attributions regardi ng the performer's identity. In the three initial experiments, each ma nipulating a different conservation behavior, subjects were asked to j udge the identity of a target person based on a description of the tar get's activities. Results indicated that stereotypes regarding the ide ntity of people who engaged in the manipulated conservation-oriented b ehaviors were widely shared. Further, the performance of these particu lar energy conservation behaviors was found to stigmatize the target b y lowering the target's perceived status and by negatively influencing other dimensions of identity. A final study explored the perceived ap propriateness of engaging in particular conservationist activities giv en specific self-presentational concerns. The data revealed considerab le intersubject agreement as to the appropriateness of such behavior i n situations in which the goal is to convey a specific image of the se lf to a social audience. The research suggests that the self-presentat ional connotations of conservation-oriented activities may be Importan t determinants of their performance.