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Quantitative Social Psychology

Environmental Psychology: Promoting a Sustainable World

* Image generated using AI

Our research at Durham focuses on advancing the understanding of human pro-environmental behaviour. It reflects an emerging strength of our research group in environmental psychology and the psychology of sustainability. Some of our research focuses on pro-environmental behavior itself, such as collective action and policy support. Other research focuses on the up-stream determinants of pro-environmental behavior, such as nature connectedness or pro-environmental values.  Still more of our investigations focus on applied topics, such as sustainable product use, attitudes toward greenwashing, or the impact of environmental interventions and governmental policies on population-level behaviour.

Like many other Quantitative Social Psychology themes, our research is focused on both theoretical advancement and real-world application. We thus conduct rigorous and innovative empirical research that will help address many of the environmental crises facing the globe. As part of further strengthening our impact in this area, we are especially interested in collaborating with other academic institutions, industry partners and governmental organisations, as well as both environmental activists and NGOs, to create sound, science-informed solutions to the environmental problems we face.

Theme Leads

For all queries regarding our work on environmental psychology, please contact our theme leads below.

Name Research Keywords
Michael Lengieza Nature Connectedness, Environmental Values, Human–Nature Relationships, Pro-environmental Outcomes
Maja Kutlaca Environmental movements; Environmental and social justice; Green ‘colonialism’

Here are some of our members who work on environmental psychology.

Staff

Name Research Keywords

Jack Hughes

Pro-environmental Behaviour; Environmental Policy; Climate Activism; Eco Labelling; Greenspace Management
Andrew Marcinko Organisational Authenticity, Pro-Environmental Behaviour, ESG
Fuschia Sirois Temporal thinking and pro-environmental behaviours; nature and health behaviours
Milica Vasiljevic Behaviour change interventions; pro-environmental behaviour; public support for policies

Junior Researchers

Name Research Keywords
   

Other Research Areas

Find out more about our other research areas.

Intergroup Relations

Diverse societies pose significant challenges in today’s society, like racism, sexism, nationalism, and other forms of prejudice, but also confer societal advantages.

Health and Well-being

Promoting and maintaining health and well-being has become increasingly important, especially in the wake of the recent global pandemic.

Workplace and Organisations

Creating inclusive work environments, supporting occupational health and well-being, and developing effective leadership are major challenges in today's workplaces.

Basic Mechanisms

Emotions, desires, and motivation are fundamental components of everyday human experience and behaviour.

Behavioural Change

We investigate factors that drive behaviour, with a particular focus on risk perception, social influence, and decision-making in a variety of applied settings

* The illustrations above have been generated using AI