At the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) Conference, Dennis Baffour-Awuah presented a research poster titled Communicating Effectively about Spotted Lanternfly Biological Control with Wine Consumers. The research was conducted through the Addressing Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven project, an interdisciplinary initiative led by Dr. Tracy Leskey and funded by the USDA-ARS Areawide Pest Management Program Award #8080-21000-001-00D. Within the project, the Lamm Lab leads the science communication and sociology research efforts.
Drawing on Social Judgment Theory, the study investigated how wine consumers’ level of ego-involvement, or the degree to which they perceive an issue as personally important, influenced their support for biological control methods used to manage spotted lanternfly (SLF). Survey data were collected from 1,000 wine consumers across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia who had recently visited wineries or purchased wine. The study examined relationships between consumers’ personal concern, value connections, behavioral engagement, and support for six biological control strategies.
The results showed that consumers generally supported biological control approaches for SLF management. Individuals who felt personally connected to SLF issues through their concerns, values, identities, and level of engagement were significantly more likely to support biological control methods. The highest support was seen for visible and preventative actions, such as removing winter egg masses and using exclusion netting. These results imply that communication should focus on personal relevance and link biological control methods to consumers’ values and concerns, thereby building wider support for sustainable SLF management.
The poster received the Outstanding Research Poster Award at the ACE Conference. The research was authored by Dennis Baffour-Awuah, Dr. Allison Byrd, Dr. Alexa J. Lamm, and Dr. Tracy Leskey.
