Michael Batame and Dr. Alexa Lamm (alongside Dr. Sarah White) presented research at the 2026 National Agricultural Communications Symposium (NACS) and the 2026 Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science (SRASHS) conference, highlighting how communication strategies, emotions, and audience characteristics influence perceptions of plastic use and sustainability in horticultural systems.
At NACS, Michael Batame displayed a research poster titled Testing Microplastic Risk Messages: Informing Plastic Use in Nurseries and Greenhouses. Guided by the Health Belief Model, the study explored how different microplastic risk messages, environmental, human health, and socio-economic factors, affected support for plastic-free production. The results indicated that perceived susceptibility, severity, and benefits were stronger predictors of support than message framing alone, suggesting that belief-based communication may be more impactful than emphasizing specific risk types.
Michael Batame also delivered an oral presentation at SR-ASHS, titled Exploring how Consumers Feel about Purchasing Plants in Plastic Pots Compared to their Alternatives: A Value Activation Model Perspective. Using a values-based framework, the study examined the role of hedonic reactions such as guilt and pride, along with environmental self-identity, in shaping responses to container choices. The results showed that emotional and identity-related factors were linked to how consumers evaluated plastic and plastic-alternative pots, highlighting the importance of considering emotional aspects in sustainability communication.
At SR-ASHS, Dr. Alexa Lamm and Dr. Sarah White delivered an oral presentation titled Plants as Art: Exploring Ways to Reengage the Public in the Science Behind Nursery Production. Their study examined whether artistic or photographic plant imagery affected audience responses related to sustainability and PFAS. The results indicated that the type of image had no significant impact on hedonic response, information retention, perceptions of PFAS, or willingness to pay for alternative plastic pots. Instead, age was the most consistent factor as younger participants were generally more willing to pay and showed higher self-efficacy in certain treatments, while older participants perceived more barriers, supported PFAS-free options less, and had lower positive hedonic responses across treatments.
These presentations highlight that audience characteristics and core beliefs often matter more than message framing or visual style alone. The findings offer practical guidance for developing communication strategies on plastic use and sustainability that account for how different audiences process information and make decisions.
