Publications

You can also find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.

Journal Articles

Protecting and restoring freshwater biodiversity across urban areas in Aotearoa New Zealand: Citizens reporting of pollution in stormwater drains and waterways

Published in Journal of Environmental Management, 2024

Urbanization poses numerous challenges to freshwater biodiversity. This paper describes two studies with the joint aim of demonstrating the benefits of applying a systematic behaviour change framework and providing the foundational knowledge to inform future behavior change work to protect and restore urban freshwater biodiversity. In Study 1 we used a mixed-methods research design, involving 14 key informant interviews followed by an online survey targeting 17 freshwater biodiversity experts and another targeting a representative sample of 550 urban residents, to identify and prioritize the most promising resident behaviors to target to reduce stormwater pollution and improve natural waterway habitats in urban areas. Study 2 focused on the top-ranked short-term behavior identified in Study 1, citizen reporting of pollution in stormwater drains and waterways. We surveyed a representative sample of 1901 urban residents across Aoteraoa New Zealand to identify four main determinants influencing this behavior: awareness and uncertainty about reporting, lack of opportunity to report, social motivation and personal motivation to report, and five potential target audiences: Supportive, Unaware but receptive, Motivated but lack support, Reluctant, and Not my problem. We make recommendations for the most appropriate intervention designs to target each of these audience segments to promote the reporting of stormwater pollution in urban areas. This knowledge will allow for a more coordinated and effective approach for addressing the human element that lies at the heart of many urban freshwater management problems.

Recommended citation: L McLeod, D Hine, T Milfont, Z Dorner, N Tassell-Matamua, R Maris*, J Kitson, P Stahlmann-Brown (2024). "Protecting and restoring freshwater biodiversity across urban areas in Aotearoa New Zealand: Citizens reporting of pollution in stormwater drains and waterways." Journal of Environmental Management. 351(1).
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Wellbeing education increases skills and knowledge among tertiary students in the agricultural sector: insights from a mixed methods study

Published in Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 2024

Purpose: The agricultural sector is facing a myriad of financial, environmental, social, and cultural challenges which affect the mental health of those working on-farm. This study focused on a tertiary education programme designed to increase recognition of mental health issues and convey strategies to address these. Methodology: To identify the effect of such a programme, and which aspects contribute to that effect, this paper applied a mixed methods approach. Quantitative propensity score matching was used to identify changes in knowledge and skills, and qualitative surveys were conducted to explore the wellbeing of students and to identify aspects of the programme contributing to change.Findings: Students report an increase in (i) ability recognising signs of poor mental health in self and others; (ii) confidence talking about their own and others??? mental health; and (iii) knowing how to access mental health support services. Programme aspects contributing to this effect are peer-to-peer education and building on existing knowledge.Practical implications: This paper addresses a gap in the literature by providing insights into programme aspects that lead to successful delivery. Theoretical implications: This study reports on the evaluation of a tertiary education programme and provides valuable insights into whether such programmes can contribute to increased knowledge on wellbeing. Originality: This research describes and analyses the effectiveness of a mental health promotion programme aimed at young adults which is rare in the literature.

Recommended citation: L Winder, N Stanley-Clarke, R Maris*, A Hay & J Knook (2024). "Wellbeing education increases skills and knowledge among tertiary students in the agricultural sector: insights from a mixed methods study." Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension. 351(1).
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Building connections in health and wellbeing education: Qualitative findings of a study with New Zealand agricultural students

Published in Health Education Journal, 2024

Background: As the burden of mental health challenges increases globally, delivering mental health education programmes to at-risk groups is critical. Important factors governing the success of health and wellbeing education include the relationships and connections formed between students and those delivering the education. This article reports on the qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study evaluating a mental health wellbeing programme delivered to first-year agricultural students across two universities in New Zealand. Design: The qualitative data that formed the basis of this article involved an exploratory approach utilising semi-structured interviews with participants who had attended a mental health wellbeing programme. Findings: The study found that feelings of connectedness in relation to the programme and the educators, as well as the material provided, improved engagement. In particular, connection was improved through the use of peer educators from within the target community, alongside considerations of timing, promotion and incentives in the delivery of programmes. Conclusions: Relationships and building connections are crucial when delivering health and wellbeing education. These findings have implications for those developing and delivering educational mental health interventions at tertiary institutions in terms of the mechanisms used to support engagement, learning and integration of knowledge.

Recommended citation: A Hay, N Stanley-Clarke, R Maris*, L Winder, & J Knook (2024). "Building connections in health and wellbeing education: Qualitative findings of a study with New Zealand agricultural students." Health Education Journal. 351(1).
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Optimism Bias as a Barrier to Accessing Mental Health Support Amongst Tertiary Students

Published in Higher Education Research and Development, 2024

Student wellbeing is a key concern for those delivering tertiary education. Tertiary providers such as universities use a range of techniques to support student wellbeing through times of stress. This article reports on one finding from a mixed methods study at two New Zealand universities that explored how students enrolled in agricultural courses saw and managed their wellbeing. The findings demonstrated that students reflected an optimism bias regarding managing their own stress believing most stressful situations would resolve without the need to involve support services. Their intent was that university support services were only to be used in times of mental health crisis. Consequently, students reported that they would not engage with support and education around managing their wellbeing but did find value in learning about how to support others through times of crisis. These findings contribute to knowledge about tertiary students’ attitudes to stress and support services. They have implications for those delivering wellbeing services at tertiary institutions in terms of how best to tailor and deliver services for students experiencing stress.

Recommended citation: N Stanley-Clarke, A Hay, R Maris*, A Ryan, J Knook & L Winder. (2024). "Optimism Bias as a Barrier to Accessing Mental Health Support Amongst Tertiary Students." Higher Education Research and Development.
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Economic growth theory and natural resource constraints: a stocktake and critical assessment

Published in Australian Economic Review, 2023

Society is facing significant environmental challenges. The effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation are being increasingly felt worldwide. In recent years, researchers have attempted to adapt neoclassical and endogenous growth theory to account for constraints imposed by scarce natural resources. In this article, we review where, and how, researchers tend to incorporate natural resources and natural capital into growth theory. We then outline areas and questions that remain unanswered, including how novel impact investing and the eroding trade-off between GDP and the environment affect growth theory.

Recommended citation: R Maris & M Holmes. (2023). "Economic growth theory and natural resource constraints: a stocktake and critical assessment." Australian Economic Review. 56(2).
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Are views of water bodies associated with higher water consumption? An empirical analysis from New Zealand

Published in Water Resources and Economics, 2023

Freshwater scarcity is worsening as we quickly approach the freshwater planetary boundary. There has been extensive research and policy development in the space of water scarcity, pollution and accessibility, centered around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A large body of literature examines household and climate characteristics predictive of water consumption by households. However, there does not appear to be any research on the role of views of and proximity to water bodies in household water consumption. In this paper, we develop a simple model of water consumption which depends on the perceptions of water scarcity and the perceptions of whether water scarcity is an issue. Using geographic information systems (GIS) viewshed analysis, we model whether properties in Tauranga, New Zealand, have views of lakes and the coast. We then use these variables in an SA1 unit fixed effects model of water consumption. We find that views of lakes are associated with higher water consumption and views of the coast are associated with lower water consumption. We suggest that these associations are driven by psychological biases which alter the perceptions of water scarcity and concern for water scarcity. We deploy a range of robustness checks and argue that our results may be causal, though further research is required to confirm this.

Recommended citation: R Maris & Y Matthews (2023). "Are views of water bodies associated with higher water consumption? An empirical analysis from New Zealand." Water Resources and Economics. 42(1).
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An analysis of operating profit margin: a valuable tool for New Zealand dairy farmers

Published in New Zealand Economic Papers, 2023

Operating profit margin (OPM) is a well-supported and easily interpretable parameter from the DuPont framework for understanding firm performance. It has not been widely applied in the dairy industry, despite its role in driving profitability, resilience and debt serviceability in low subsidy export-oriented farming systems. We analyse the drivers of OPM in depth for the first time on New Zealand dairy farms. We utilise a 10-year panel dataset developed by applying simulation methods to sample and population data, giving a representative picture of the industry. We group farms into quartiles of their long-run OPM performance and perform non-parametric Games-Howell testing to investigate differences between the groups. We then estimate individual and time fixed effects panel regression models for the entire sample and each quartile separately to examine the factors driving changes in OPM over time. We add to the limited literature on the factors driving changes in OPM over time.

Recommended citation: R Maris & Z Dorner (2023). "An analysis of operating profit margin: a valuable tool for New Zealand dairy farmers." New Zealand Economic Papers. 57(3).
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Individual and Combined Effects of Predatory Bug Engytatus nicotianae and Trichoderma atroviride in Suppressing the Tomato Potato Psyllid Bactericera cockerelli in Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes

Published in Agronomy, 2023

The tomato potato psyllid (TPP) Bactericera cockerelli is a serious pest of the Solanaceae family. The management of this pest using synthetic pesticides is problematic because of the development of pesticide resistance and environmental concerns including impacts on non-target organisms. The predatory bug Engytatus nicotianae has recently been identified as a useful biocontrol agent for TPP in greenhouses. The soil fungus Trichoderma Pers. is commonly used as a plant growth enhancer and biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic fungi. Therefore, there could be advantages associated with the combined use of these biocontrol agents. Some reports in other systems suggest that Trichoderma inoculation may alter the behaviour of pests and their natural enemies by modifying plant defence metabolites such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For this reason, this study aimed to investigate the individual and combined efficacy of these biocontrol agents (i.e., Trichoderma atroviride and E. nicotianae) against TPP in greenhouse grown tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Merlice). To this end, we compared the effect of each biocontrol agent and their combination on TPP abundance across different developmental stages (egg, nymphs, adults) and the number of infested leaves. We also investigated plant VOC emissions under the different treatments. Across all measured TPP stages, the treatments tested (E. nicotianae alone, T. atrovirdae alone, and T. atrovirdae + E. nicotianae) significantly reduced mean TPP counts relative to the control, and no significant differences were observed in VOC emissions among treatments. Overall, T. atrovirdae alone was less effective than E. nicotianae alone and its combination with T. atrovirdae in suppressing TPP populations. However, the combined use of Trichoderma + E. nicotianae did not show significant advantages over the use of E. nicotianae alone in controlling TPP. Therefore, their combined use needs to be further assessed in light of other advantages of Trichoderma to the crop (e.g., growth promotion or pathogen defence).

Recommended citation: E Veronesi, S Cairns, H Alizadeh, J Hampton, R Maris, W Godsoe, S Goldson & A McCormick (2023). "Individual and Combined Effects of Predatory Bug Engytatus nicotianae and Trichoderma atroviride in Suppressing the Tomato Potato Psyllid Bactericera cockerelli in Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes." Agronomy.
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The labour market trade-offs of pet ownership

Published in Economics and Business Letters, 2023

Pets are an important part of many peoples lives, and provide mental, physical and emotional benefits. However, the costs of pet ownership have received little attention. We investigate the association between pet ownership and wage income using data from the 2018 General Social Survey. We hypothesise that pet ownership may negatively influence income by lowering labour mobility and positively influence income by garnering valuable psychosocial attributes. We analyse interactions between pet ownership and education, pet ownership and housing tenure, and pet ownership and race to further investigate the potential labour mobility channel. Overall, we find that pet ownership decreases wage income and that these negative effects are larger for groups where mobility effects are likely higher.

Recommended citation: R Maris and M Cameron (2023). "The labour market trade-offs of pet ownership." Economics and Business Letters. 12(1).
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Robbie Maris

Publications

Journal Articles