IN THIS PROJECT WE TEST THE LINK BETWEEN KNOWN MENTAL STRESSORS FOR GROUNDWATER USERS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF COLLECTIVE ACTION OVER THAT RESOURCE. TO FIND THE CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MENTAL SCARCITY AND GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT WE RUN A SERIES OF LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS ON STUDENT SUBJECTS WHICH USES AN EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION TO INDUCE MENTAL SCARCITY ON A RANDOMLY SELECTED CONTROL GROUP IN A SOCIAL DILEMMA GAME. WE THEN CONNECT THESE FINDINGS TO A STAKEHOLDER BY SURVEYING FARMERS OVER THE OGALLALA AQUIFER TO ESTABLISH IF STATED PREFERENCES AND REPORTED MEASURES OF MENTAL STRESS ARE CORRELATED. WE WILL DO A MULTI-PERIOD SURVEY TO CAPTURE CHANGES IN MENTAL STRESS DURING AND AFTER THE GROWING SEASON. THIS SECOND STEP WILL ALSO BE KEY IN FINDING WHAT STRESSORS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO FARMERS (EG. MONETARY, WEATHER, SOCIAL) AND HOW THEY ARE AFFECTING DECISIONS OF GROUNDWATER USE AND GOVERNANCE. WE CAN USE FINDINGS TO DESIGN A MORE EXTENSIVE PROGRAM TO TEST SPECIFIC POLICIES AND MORE EXPENSIVE RANDOM CONTROL TRIALS THAT COULD LEAD A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING ABOUT BOTTOM UP GOVERNANCE OF COMMON POOL RESOURCES. NAMELY, FINDING NUDGES THAT WORK WITH THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE FOR SELF-GOVERNANCE OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND CAN SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USAGE WITHOUT IMPOSING CONTROL AND COMMAND TYPE POLICIES.