Conflict in Clayoquot Sound: Using thematic content analysis to understand psychological aspects of environmental controversy.

The present study examined the information campaigns of groups involved in the Clayoquot land-use debate for the presence of motivational and cognitive factors that may undermine the quality of forest land-use discussions. Integrative complexity, motive imagery (need for achievement, affiliation, and power) and value pluralism were measured in the publicity campaigns of 7 groups (3 environmentalist, a forest industry advocacy group, a forest company, the B.C. government, and a government-appointed forestry advisory panel). The campaigns were generally characterized by low levels of integrative complexity and of affiliation and achievement imagery, and high levels of power imagery. The complexity of the combined texts of the government and the advisory panel (M = 1.96) were significantly higher in integrative complexity (p < .05) than those of the environmental groups (M = 1.49). The complexity score of the forest industry advocates fell between those of the above groups (M = 1.80), and did not differ significantly from either. The values endorsed by the environmental and forest industry advocacy groups were non-overlapping, whereas the government/advisory texts contained values that overlapped with those of both advocacy groups, and had significantly (p = .02) higher levels of achievement imagery.