Does emotional inhibition affect public perceptions of not-in-my-backyard infrastructures? A case study of waste-to-energy incineration facilities

Abstract

NIMBY (Not-In-My-Backyard) phenomena are widespread social issues in energy project development that fundamentally stem from public risk perceptions and emotional reactions to sensitive facilities. Emotions are critical factors that shape public cognition and attitudes, playing a pivotal role in both the emergence and resolution of NIMBY conflicts. This study uses waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities as a case to explore the impact of emotion inhibition strategies on public cognition and attitudes through behavioral survey experiments. A comparative analysis of positive and negative emotion inhibition was conducted with 240 participants, and the results of the study demonstrate that emotional inhibition can substantially alter public perceptions, with varying impacts depending on whether positive or negative emotions are inhibited and on the group size. Insights are provided into the role of emotions in shaping public perceptions during group discussions, supporting governmental efforts to anticipate and manage energy facility construction conflicts, mitigate negative outcomes from emotional arousal, and promote the sustainable development of WTE incineration facilities.