PERCEPTIONS VS RECOMMENDATIONS - A RANGELAND DECISION-MAKING DILEMMA

This paper analyzes subjective perceptions of Texas ranchers concernin g management decision-making to obtain insight for improving technolog y transfer. Correlations among variables from a 1990 mail questionnair e were transformed by principal component analysis into a small number of ''new'' variables representing unobservable patterns of behavioral similarities. Two principal components explained variability in ranch er's perceptions for each of the areas of interest: stocking rate fact ors, grazing program benefits, and weed/brush treatment techniques. St ocking rate and grazing program components were each characterized by traditional and nontraditional factors. Ranchers perceived the primary benefit from instituting a grazing program to be improved livestock p erformance (traditional grazing component 1). Some modification of ran chers' perceptions about the primary benefits of grazing programs is i ndicated. Weed/brush decision-making was characterized by information- source and economic factors. The information-source component was defi ned by the importance of advice from neighbors and fear of treatment m ethods. Because these tend to be negative perceptions, both of these v ariables have the potential for restricting adoption of weed/brush tec hnology.