Motivating Changes in Behavior to Address
Current Problems Facing Humanity: Climate Change
HumBio 164/264 - Spring Quarter 2007 - Mon 7-10
Course Information
Instructor: Tom Robinson, Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Office: ??? Hoover Pavilion
E-mail: tom.robinson@stanford.edu
Consultation hours: ???
Instructor: Carrie Armel, Postdoctoral Fellow, Economics and Psychology Departments
Office: ???
E-mail: kcarmel@stanford.edu
Consultation hours: ???
Course web page: http://www.stanford.edu/~kcarmel/???.html
Course Objectives
A significant reduction in greenhouse gases can be achieved by motivating individuals to modify
their personal behavior (e.g., driving less). In this seminar course, findings and methods are
reviewed from several fields that have been most effective at changing behavior in the real world.
Students also develop projects in which they apply these principles to modify climate change
related behaviors. This survey and development work is achieved through readings and
discussions led by leaders in each field. Students may translate these principles into an
intervention (e.g., at a local high school) in an attempt to modify real world behavior, during the
fall of 2007. Students also develop metrics and measure behavior in order to evaluate the
efficacy of the intervention.
Course Overview (fix once we’re in agreement)
This seminar course lasts one quarter with the possibility of being offered annually (in which case
the problem topic could vary). Classes meet once a week. Generally, lectures last 1-2 of each 3
hour class, and Robinson, Armel, and the students lead discussions in the remaining time.
There may be an opportunity for students to implement their project designs over the summer
and/or fall of 2007 through field work, and to reflect on their work through lab meetings or
discussion sections. (This course has a service learning component. …I think we may not
qualify w/Haas if we aren’t certain to do community work.)
Required work includes: One 1.5 hour exam; one 15-page project proposal; one 15-20 minute
Powerpoint project presentation; and 8 1-3 page summaries of the electronic readings, one due
at the beginning of each week.
Required Reading
A free electronic course reader is available on the course website at
http://www.stanford.edu/~kcarmel/???.html. The course reader page is a secure site so you will
need to log in using your Stanford ID and password after you click on the course reader link. After
you do this, you will be directed to the download page which provides bibliographic information on
each paper. To download a paper, click on the PDF link associated with it. You must have Adobe
Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to read these files. You will also find links to the
syllabus and details on the assignments, as well as any course announcements.
You also have several required books that should be available at the bookstore:
???
2
Schedule of Lectures
Date Topic
1
An overview, focusing on intervention design, in
order to provide a goal-directed framework for the
course. (Robinson & Armel)
2
Identifying target behaviors and developing
measures of behavior change.
- Target behaviors can be identified through an
the analysis of the footprint of different
behaviors, and difficulty in overcoming barriers
to these behaviors. This part of the lecture
provides an overview of behaviors and their
footprints, and theory/methodology behind
identifying target behaviors.
- An overview of metrics, measurement tools,
and study design. Questionnaire methodology
is covered. (Robinson, perhaps Mastrandrea,
Armel) 1
3
Intervention content. The goal is to identify and
simplify the essential concepts that emphasize the
veracity of climate change and urgency of action.
- Climate change science and policy: The
essentials. (Schneider & Ehrlich)
4
Tools for intervention design. The goal is to use
tools from psychology and education to increase
the likelihood that receivers will internalize the
climate change concepts from Lecture 3 and will
also modify their behavior.
- Tools I: Education. Overview of educational
tools to improve comprehension, motivation,
and memory. (Shrager; perhaps Richard
Shavelson education faculty)
- Tools II: Consumer behavior and public
service announcements. Relevant consumer
behavior & advertising findings (Shiv, Armel).
5
Tools for intervention design, cont.:
- Tools III: Social psychology. Topics include
psychological research on the perception of
norms, traits of an effective spokesperson,
etc. (Monin)
- Tools IV: Social cognitive theory (& education
entertainment?) (Bandura).
6
7
8
9
Behavioral health medicine I. Bringing it all
together: designing an intervention (Robinson).
(Perhaps one or both lectures 6 & 7 should be
moved towards the beginning of the course?)
Behavioral health medicine II. Implementing and
evaluating an intervention (Robinson).
1.5 hour exam at the beginning of class? 1.5
additional hours of class on what topic? A
discussion section to go over problems on
projects?
Project Presentations
Readings
???
The lay person article on footprints
of different behaviors?
The review article by Krosnik in the
CC journal, or an article by
Leiserowitz, or an article on survey
methodology.
An article from the issue Baba
recommended on identifying target
behaviors, etc.?
Have Mike recommend a review
article.
Education/cognitive psychology?
The best review from the issue baba
pointed me to. Include list on the
web site of other articles like the
older review he gave me or cog
neuro/emotion influencing DM stuff.
See if we can use the white paper
that lee ross etc. wrote on applying
soc psy principles to CC.
One of Bandura’s review articles, or
a book chapter on ed
entertainment…see if we can find
one that focuses on translation.
???
???
None
None
3
10
Project Presentations
None
1Note for Carrie: Measurement units may also be covered (e.g., for research and also for
providing feedback, as in what units are easy to convert and salient to lay people).
4
Required work and assignments
Exam. A 1.5 hour exam will test knowledge of specific facts covered in the readings or lectures.
Reading Summary/Reaction piece. You are required to turn in a summary/reaction
piece for each week’s readings. Write about half a page (a good paragraph) for
each reading that describes briefly the paper’s aims, focus, and importance (what it contributes to
our understanding of a successful behavioral intervention), and your assessment of its strengths
and weaknesses. A second paragraph should discuss how three or more suggestions of the
paper could be translated into aspects of your piece of the intervention, and these can later be
incorporated into your project proposal. The summary pieces are due at the beginning of each
class, for the readings that will be covered in class that day. For the first week’s readings, you
will turn in your summary pieces for both the first and second week in the second class. There
will be a total of 8 summary pieces due (none are due for classes 9-10), the length of which will
vary as the number of readings per week varies.
15-page intervention project proposal. This will be written as though you are submitting a
grant proposal. We will give you more details and guidelines on topics and format in class.
Project proposals are due 3 days before your scheduled presentation.
Student presentations. In weeks 9-10 each student (or group if the students work in groups) will
do a 15 minute presentation (which should be in Powerpoint or other electronic display format) on
the design of their intervention, with an additional 5 minutes for questions. Peers and instructors
will evaluate each on quality of the presentation and intervention project using a short
questionnaire, primarily as constructive feedback for the presenter.
Grading
We will be grading your work in this course on a letter grade scale. Your written project proposal
will count for 50% of your final grade. The remainder of your grade will be equally distributed
between your overall summary piece grade, exam, and class presentation. Each assignment will
receive a letter grade (A+ to F) with the exception of your summary pieces. If you turn in at least
7 out of 8 summary pieces of acceptable quality you will receive an A for overall summary piece
grade.
??? One idea (depending on student enrollment) is to have students work in groups for their
project presentation, have one of the group members present on their project, and those not
presenting on the project will lead the discussion sections described in the next paragraph.
However, I wonder whether we really have time for 1+ hrs of student led discussions though for
Lectures 2-5?
For Lectures 2-7 the 1-2 hour lectures will be followed by student-led presentations that both
elaborate upon and describe in detail some of the principles we cover in the readings, and that
also facilitate discussion of the application of these principles to intervention design in the domain
of climate change.
5
Discuss with Tom how to implement course structure to test the following
hypotheses:
1. “Causes” are stronger motivators than personal benefits like
longevity/improved health. (complexities…overgeneralization? Personal
benefits like attractiveness or peer approval may be strong but health
weak. Causes may be strong when seen to have immediate or severe
effects, but perhaps not when they are uncertain or effort to change the
behavior is great.)
2. Mutually beneficial behaviors.
6
Brief Research Biographies for Course Instructors and Potential Guest Lecturers
Carrie Armel, Economics & Psychology, S&H (Postdoctoral Fellow). Dr. Armel studies how affect
and motivation influence individual decision making using psychological, psychophysiological,
eye-tracking, and neuroscientific tools. She hopes to unite her Neuroeconomics work and
environmental interest to develop an effective methodology for changing environmentally relevant
behaviors.
Albert Bandura, Psychology, S&H (David Starr Jordan Professor of Social Science in
Psychology). (Advising participant). Dr. Bandura studies self and communal efficacy, social
learning theory, and moral disengagement. His work has been adapted through telenovelas to
promote virtually unprecedented levels social change in the areas of population control and
increased literacy.
Paul Ehrlich, Biological Sciences, S&H (Bing Professor of Population Studies). Dr. Ehrlich
studies conservation biology, ecology, evolution, and behavior of natural populations. Most well
known for his book The Population Bomb, his current focus is on reducing the severity of climate
change caused by over-consumption. He addresses this by studying how cultural evolution can
be facilitated through the diffusion of norms.
Michael Mastrandrea, CESP (Postdoctoral Fellow). Dr. Mastrandea develops integrated
assessment modeling of the climate and economy as a tool for climate policy analysis, with an
emphasis on quantifying risk and uncertainty. In collaboration with Dr. Schneider, he has recently
reviewed and is beginning to incorporate psychological perceptions of risk into his work.
Benoit Monin, Psychology, S&H (Assistant Professor). Dr. Monin studies perceptions of group
norms, the moralization of everyday life, and cognitive dissonance. He is especially interested in
identifying which traits make an effective spokesperson on moral issues, including environmental
issues, as well as what psychological processes play a role in the tragedy of the commons
problem.
Hayagreeva Rao, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, GSB. (Atholl McBean
Professor). Dr. Rao applies quantitative sociological methods to study the creation and
transformation of social structures using real world data. He is particularly interested in
identifying what factors facilitate or hinder important social and environmental movements.
Tom Robinson, General Pediatrics, Medicine (Associate Professor). Dr. Robinson develops and
evaluates health promotion and disease prevention interventions for children and adolescents.
He believes that addressing climate change through behavior modification will also have
substantial beneficial impacts on health issues, such as obesity.
Kristine Samuelson, Communications, S&H (Professor). Dr. Samuelson has been an
independent film producer for twenty-two years and teaches documentary producing and
directing. She hopes to apply cinematic techniques that engage and motivate viewers concerning
climate change issues.
Steve Schneider, Biological Sciences, S&H (Professor). Dr. Schneider studies climate change,
such as climatic modeling of paleoclimates and human impacts on climate. In collaboration with
Dr. Mastrandrea, he has recently reviewed and is beginning to incorporate psychological
perceptions of risk into his work. He has had significant interactions with policy makers and
industry.
Baba Shiv, Marketing, GSB (Associate Professor). Dr. Shiv has published on decision making,
from consumer behavior to neuroscience. He believes the emerging field of Neuroeconomics will
provide unique approaches to studying and improving environmental decision making.
7
Jeff Shrager, Symbolic Systems, S&H (Consulting Professor). Dr. Shrager studies how novices
learn science and how to facilitate this learning. He also develops computer tools, such as
knowledge operating systems, to aid more complex scientific inquiries. Consistent with his
environmental interests, his most recent work aids biologists in clarifying the role of climate
change and other environmental stressors on cyanobacteria, a photosynthetic ocean organism
that produces half the oxygen and absorbs half the CO2 in the atmosphere.
We also plan on contacting Mark Granovetter (S&H, Joan Butler Ford Professor of Sociology)
who has developed some of the most influential theories in modern sociology. His quantitative
social network analysis has led to his theories on threshold models of fads, the problem of
embeddedness, and the strength of weak ties, which have been popularised by Malcolm
Gladwell's book The Tipping Point. Dr. Granovetter has a particular interest in environmental
issues and has used the electricity industry as a model for much of his work.