Homer Simpson?

Ann S. Bisconti, PhD

June 3 2021

The wildly popular television show, The Simpsons, was into its third year in 1992 when David Ziebell, then president of the Professional Reactor Operators Society, asked me if we had any data on the public image of nuclear power plant operators. Interesting question. Wikipedia describes the lead character, Homer Simpson, as “obese, immature, outspoken, aggressive, balding, lazy, ignorant, unprofessional, and addicted to beer, junk food and watching television.” He also works at a nuclear power plant.  Did the public imagine real nuclear power plant workers as Homer Simpson? 

First Inquiry

I had no idea how the public viewed nuclear power plant operators and was curious to find the answer to Mr. Ziebell’s question. As a first inquiry, I tacked a single open-ended question onto a test of a nuclear energy ad: Thinking of the people who work in the control rooms of nuclear energy plants—the nuclear energy plant operators—what words or phrases come to mind to describe these people?

I knew that the ad test that preceded this question could have influenced responses, but I certainly was not expecting what we found.  More than half described the nuclear power plant operators with positive personal attributes including conscientious, intelligent, caring, and level-headed. Another half described them as well educated, competent, and well trained. One-third commented that nuclear power plant operators work under hazardous conditions and are brave. Only 6 percent mentioned Homer Simpson. 

Second Inquiry

Before embarking on a more scientifically defensible study of the topic, I sent the preliminary findings to nuclear communicators across the industry to find out if they were aware of any other studies on the topic. Finding no other study of the public image of nuclear power plant operators, my group at the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness, predecessor of the Nuclear Energy Institute, conducted one.

In July 1993, we purchased questions on a public opinion survey conducted by Bruskin-Goldring with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 and a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. This study showed definitively that the image of nuclear power plant operators was no Homer Simpson. The study confirmed the public image of plant operators as intelligent, competent, well-educated, well-trained people with the personal qualities needed to perform a difficult job.

First, we asked the same open-ended question about a word or phrase that comes to mind to for describing nuclear power plant operators. The answers were like those in the first inquiry:

Positive (55%) 

• Intelligent, bright, smart, competent

• Well educated, trained, qualified

• Courageous, brave, daring

• Dedicated, careful, responsible

Negative (21%), mostly about the dangers of the job

Neutral—same as everybody else (5%)

Don’t know (23%)

Fewer than 1 percent mentioned Homer Simpson. 

In the next questions, we compared the image of nuclear power plant operators with airline pilots, using a rating scale.

Public Image of Nuclear Power Plant Operators and Pilots

I’ll read some words or phrases, and I’d like you to tell me, for each one, how much it fits your idea of (the people who work in nuclear energy plant control rooms/airline pilots), using a scale from 0 to 10.  Zero means the word or phrase does not fit at all and 10 means it fits completely.

Nuclear power plant operators and pilots were rated similarly—both very favorably—on being highly educated, well trained, conscientious, intelligent, and trustworthy.  For both professions, the average ratings on these attributes were close to or over 8, on a zero to 10 scale. 

Airline pilots were thought to be slightly less well educated than nuclear power plant operators but more highly trained. In fact, through programs certified by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), operator training, including with simulators, is state-of-the-art. 

Nuclear power plant operators outscored pilots on concern for the environment. Pilots were thought to care a lot about the passengers on their airplanes. Nuclear power plant operators received middling reviews on caring for plant neighbors. What the public who live far from nuclear power plants did not know is that most nuclear power plant workers live nearby with their families; they are plant neighbors too.   

Conclusions

Some facts about nuclear power plant operators, such as their extensive training and local involvement, could be better communicated. But our take on the study was that it was not productive to be anxious or angry about the bumbling Homer Simpson.  With no disrespect for the smart and talented people who actually work in nuclear power plants, the best course of action is to sit back and laugh with the rest of the audience.  Homer Simpson is a good guy after all. 

© Ann Stouffer Bisconti, 2021.