Integrative complexity, beliefs, and attitudes: Application to prescribed fire

Michael R. Czaja, Alan D. Bright and Stuart P. Cottrell

Forest Policy and Economics, 2016, vol. 62, issue C, 54-61

Abstract: This study examines integrative complexity as a moderator between basic beliefs about wildland fire management and attitudes toward prescribed fire. Integrative complexity measures an individual's level of complexity when thinking about an issue. This, in turn, illustrates the diversity of arguments people recognize about the subject. It is the capacity and willingness to acknowledge the legitimacy of competing perspectives on the same issue and forge conceptual links among these perspectives. This has significant implications for agencies in policy development and subsequent public acceptance. Households were surveyed in counties adjacent to three study areas in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. Regression moderation analysis examined the interrelationships among basic beliefs, attitudes, and integrative complexity. Results suggest that integrative complexity moderated the relationship between basic beliefs and attitudes toward prescribed fire. We discuss how this methodology can contribute to a better understanding of public perceptions regarding proposed or subsequent strategies and policies.

Keywords: Integrative complexity; Cognitive hierarchy; Policy development; Policy; Public outreach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:forpol:v:62:y:2016:i:c:p:54-61

DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2015.07.003

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