Residential Yard Preference Study
(DRAFT)

A project of the University of Michigan
Thank you for participating in our study about residential yard preference.





Section One:

For the first part of this survey, we will show you a series of photographs of residential yards. During the entire survey, please consider each yard as if it were your own.

In the first section below, please rate these photographs from 1 (strongly like) to 5 (strongly dislike). In the space provided after your response for each photo, please briefly comment on why you rated the photo as you did.
 

#1.) Strongly like 1     2     3     4     5 strongly dislike

Comments:_________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
 

#2.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike
 

Comments:_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
 
 


 
 

#3.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike
 

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#4.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike
 

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#5.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike
 
 

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 

#6.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike

(photo 6: shows obvious stormwater, high eco, med framing)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 

#7.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike

(photo 7: shows obvious stormwater, high eco, low framing)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 

#8.) Strongly like 1 2 3 4 5 strongly dislike

(photos 8-14 repeat these variations for replication….)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
 
 
 
 

Section Two:

In this next sequence of photographs, please rate the photographs based on the question given.
 
 

9) How likely would it be for you to choose to live in a neighborhood where all the yards looked like this?
 

1. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

2. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

3. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

4. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

5. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

6. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

7. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

8. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely
 
 
 
 
 
 

10) How likely would you be to put a landscape design like this in your yard?

1. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

2. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

3. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

4. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

5. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

6. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

7. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely

8. very likely 1 2 3 4 5 very unlikely
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Section Three:
 
 

11) Please put an X (in the left column) by any reason on the list below that might cause you to choose a design like this one for your lawn. (show an alternative lawn – one with high stormwater, high eco and high frames… to test what we would think people would like as an alternative lawn)

X Order

____ ____ Neighbors would like the way it looks.

____ ____ It would give me more privacy.

____ ____ Kids would enjoy playing here.

____ ____ I would enjoy the wildlife it would attract.

____ ____ I would enjoy that it requires less maintenance.

____ ____ I like the way it looks.

____ ____ It would require less watering, fertilizer, and chemical treatments.

____ ____ I would like to see more birds and other wildlife from my window.

____ ____ I wouldn’t have to mow as much lawn.

____ ____ I would enjoy the sounds of the birds and frogs it might attract.

____ ____ It would provide a place for kids to discover and explore nature.

____ ____ I would enjoy having a shallow pond in a small part of my lawn.

____ ____ I believe it would help the environment.

____ ____ Other. Please explain briefly: _____________________________
 
 

13) Now, look only at those reasons that you checked on the list above. Please put a "1" in front of the reason that would be most important to you. Put a "2" in fromt of the reason that would be second most important. Then, put a "3" in front of the reason that would be third in importance to you.
 
 

  1.   14)  Please put an X (in the left column) by any reason on the list below that might cause you to decide not to have a design like this in your yard?

  2.  

     
     
     

    X         Order

    ____ ____ It would attract insects and other pesky wildlife.

    ____ ____ I don’t like the way it looks.

    ____ ____ It wouldn’t look right in my neighborhood.

    ____ ____ I wouldn’t be sure how to get started.

    ____ ____ My yard wouldn’t be big enough for this kind of design.

    ____ ____ It would be too difficult to implement.

    ____ ____ It might cost too much money to alter my yard to be like this.

    ____ ____ It looks overgrown and not well-kept.

    ____ ____ I don’t see any benefits in changing my yard.

    ____ ____ It looks too crowded.

    ____ ____ Neighbors might not like the way it looks.

    ____ ____ It looks difficult to maintain.

    ____ ____ I enjoy mowing my lawn and this wouldn’t need as much mowing.

    ____ ____ Not enough room for outdoor activities on mown lawn.

    ____ ____ Other. Please explain briefly:______________________________
     
     

  3. Now, look only at those reasons that you checked on the list above. Please put a "1" in front of the reason that would be most important to you. Put a "2" in front of the reason that would be second most important. Then, put a "3" in front of the reason that would be third in importance to you.

  4.  

     
     
     
     
     

  5. If you knew that this type of yard design would help the environment, and you wanted to have such a yard, which of the following factors would be helpful to you in implementing it? (Again, please put an X, in the left column, by any reason on the list below that might be helpful to you.)
X Order

____ ____ A reduction in property taxes.

____ ____ Referral to local landscaping companies that could implement such a yard.

____ ____ Monetary compensation for any professional work that needed to be done.

____ ____ Discounts at my local nursery for native plants and eco-friendly lawn care products.

____ ____ If a few of my neighbors implemented it first.

____ ____ Knowing that I was part of a larger effort in the city and county to build a system of lawns that served as healthy wildlife habitat.

____ ____ Free landscaping/lawn care advice over the phone; a landscaping hotline, so I could learn to do it myself.

____ ____ The opportunity to join a local group that meets regularly to help each other with their environmentally-friendly lawn maintenance questions.

____ ____ The opportunity to register with the city or county as an owner of an environmentally-friendly lawn and receive recognition at a city or county event.

____ ____ The money I would save from buying less fertilizer, fewer chemicals, and maintaining and buying less gas for my lawn mower.

____ ____ A free workshop that would help me design my yard.

____ I would not be interested in implementing such a yard design.
 
 
 

Section Four:

Next, it will be helpful for us to have some information about you. This survey is completely anonymous and we will not report answers of individual participants in this study.

  1. What is your age? _____
2. What is your gender? M F

3. How many children live in your household? ____

  1. How many years have you lived in Washtenaw County?
5. In what city or Township do you live? ______________________

6. Circle the type of area where you grew up.

    1. Farm
    2. Non-farm rural
    3. Small town
    4. City
7.During the summer, on average, about how many hours per week does your family spend maintaining your yard and lawn? _______ hrs.
  1. Is fertilizer added to your lawn?
  1. yes
  2. no
  3. not sure
  1. How frequently do you fertilize your lawn?
  1. Once, in the spring.
  2. About twice, once in the spring and once in the fall.
  3. More frequently than twice per year.
  1. Are pesticides applied to your yard?
  1. yes
  2. no
  3. not sure
  1. How important is it to you to see wildlife, like songbirds, from your house?

  2.  

     
     
     

    very important 1 2 3 4 5 not important
     
     

  3. Do you belong to any conservation or environmental groups or organizations?
  1. yes
  2. no
  1. Is your work or profession involved with environmental or conservation issues?
  1. yes
  2. no
  1. Check any of the following hobbies or recreational pursuits that you have participated in during the past 3 years.
____ bird-watching

____ hunting

____ hiking

____ biking

____ gardening

____ fishing

____ cross-country skiing

____ camping

____ canoeing
 
 
 
 

If you are interested in finding out more about our project, please visit our website at: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~______.
 
 

Thank you!


Malletts Creekshed Survey Design Outline





Concepts to be tested by the survey:

Does ecological knowledge/awareness effect one’s preference for ecological landscapes in a residential setting in Malletts creekshed?

     
    Measures of ecological knowledge/awareness:
      How do we find out if they know the ecological function of the landscape?

    Measures of preference:
     

  1. Does ecological knowledge/awareness (intrinsic motivation) effect one’s willingness to implement an ecological landscape on one’s own property in Malletts creekshed?

  2.  

     
     
     

    Measures of ecological awareness:
     


     
  3. Does the opportunity for monetary incentive, or other extrinsic motivatiors, effect one’s willingness to implement an ecological landscape on one’s own property in Malletts creekshed?
Other motivators measured (external motivation):
  Method:
 

Sample population:

Residents in Malletts creekshed or surrounding areas.
 
 

Targetted sample size:

Attend 5-10 meetings of 10 or more people = 50-100 participants