Leiden University Student Repository

Wildenburg, Wouter (2022)

The influence of voice opportunity and voice expectations on wind turbine project acceptance of local residents: De invloed van inspraak en inspraak verwachtingen op de acceptatie van windturbineprojecten door omwonenden

Master thesis | Psychology (MSc)

Wind turbines are an effective source of energy for climate change mitigation. The placement of windmills is often challenged by residents in the local area. In a previous study, it was found that given to local residents about the implementation of windmills in the local area could be an important factor in local wind turbine project acceptance, and that this relationship was mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the wind turbine company. The focus of this experimental scenario study (N=679) is to replicate and build on this previous study. In the current study, participants were asked to empathize with the residents of a fictional town, where a wind farm would be located. Depending on the experimental group, voice expectations were manipulated by randomly assigning to three manipulation groups where they were told that it was common, uncommon that they would be given voice by the company and another group where no voice expectations were manipulated. Participants...Show moreWind turbines are an effective source of energy for climate change mitigation. The placement of windmills is often challenged by residents in the local area. In a previous study, it was found that given to local residents about the implementation of windmills in the local area could be an important factor in local wind turbine project acceptance, and that this relationship was mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the wind turbine company. The focus of this experimental scenario study (N=679) is to replicate and build on this previous study. In the current study, participants were asked to empathize with the residents of a fictional town, where a wind farm would be located. Depending on the experimental group, voice expectations were manipulated by randomly assigning to three manipulation groups where they were told that it was common, uncommon that they would be given voice by the company and another group where no voice expectations were manipulated. Participants then either received an opportunity to voice their opinion or received no voice opportunity. In this study it was predicted and found that receiving voice compared to no voice would increase wind turbine project acceptance. It was also predicted and found that this relationship was sequentially mediated by perceived procedural fairness via perceived trust. And lastly, it was predicted that voice expectation served as a mediator between voice opportunity and acceptance. Both of these findings replicated previous research. No significant interaction effect of voice opportunity and voice expectations was found.Show less

Voice

expectations

acceptance

trust

procedural fairness

wind energy

Author

Wildenburg, Wouter

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Economic and consumer psychology

Supervisors

Emma ter Mors

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en