PRESERVING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Classical environmental psychology
    Impact of environment on human functions
    Individual-oriented
    Specific local situations
    Positivistic, ‘truthful’

Alternative environmental psychology
        Effect of aggregate behavior on environment
Effect of environmental change on well-being
    Applied, ‘useful’

Typology of environmental problems
    Levels of burden (and their interaction)
        Local
        Fluvial
        Regional
        Continental
        Global

Degradation is a long-term threat to QoL
    Intergroup tension and conflict
    Destruction of indigenous habitats
    Unhealthy daily living conditions

Why environmental problems are neglected
    Shortsightedness
    Economic interests
    Technological optimism
    Nature-exploitative attitudes
    Perceived lack of societal control

What psychologists can do
    Become familiar with problem domains
    Reframe problems as socio-behavioral
    Test models of specific problems
    Develop sustainable lifestyles and culture

    Note – interdisciplinary action research

The Commons Dilemma
    Conflict of collective and individual interests
        Immediate and frequent benefits
        Delayed and gradual costs

4 behavior processes – 2 (theory) x 2 (level)
    
Behaviorism (incentive conditions)
    Cognitivism (info-processing guides)
    
Private (individual)
    Public (social)

Examples of 4 behavior processes that drive behavior and suggest strategies for change
    Repetition
    Deliberation
    Imitation
    Social comparison

Public and/or private strategies for change  
    Behavioral (more effective but difficult)
        Provide physical alternatives
        Regulation/enforcement
        Economic stimulation
    Cognitive (less effective but easy)
        Information and education
        Social modeling and support

Quality of life
    Sustainability will impact QoL
    But, QoL factors are mainly intrinsic
        e.g., family, freedom, achievement

Research opportunities
    Population - reduce birthrates
        Modeling via mass communication
    Consumption - sustainability as QoL
        Modify needs, opportunities, and abilities
    Technology - its effect on attitudes/behavior  
        Analyze product-behavior interaction

DISCUSSION:

    ➢    How can we incentivize psychologists’ interest in sustainable development?

    ➢    How can we improve the cooperation of policy-makers, psychologists, and other scientists in addressing the challenges of sustainable development?