Wastewater Treatment Plant in Maryland
Participant EEG Results before and after viewing water education videos
Dr. Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein (co-PD of the CONSERVE Extension team) and her collaborator Dr. Edward Bernat (UMD Department of Psychology) were awarded a 2019 Seed Grant from the University of Maryland Brain and Behavior Institute (BBI) . The goal of the project was to use neural activity measures to understand consumer perceptions of water reuse in order to determine how to increase acceptance of water reuse. In Phase I of the project the researchers measured changes in neural activity in response to multiple categories of water reuse terms pre- and post-exposure to water reuse education videos using electroencephalogram (EEG). Large changes in brain activity were observed after participants viewed the videos. These changes could correspond to increased attention, engagement, and interest in the water reuse terms as a result of viewing the videos. The results thus far point to the importance of validating the effectiveness of water reuse education materials using sophisticated neurocognitive measures. The integration of psychology into water reuse educational efforts will aid targeted education campaigns that could lead to increased public acceptance.
View the video below to learn more about the project!