PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Spring/Summer 2012(?)
Instructor: Jennifer Robohm, Ph.D.
Email: jennifer.robohm@umontana.edu
Phone: (406) 243-6890
Office: CPC 131
“If we don’t change the direction we are heading, we will end up where we are going.” – Chinese proverb
“Persuading people to alter their behavior always involves probing motivations and debating values;
political activism begins with asking what makes people tick. What do they want and fear and care
about? How do we get and hold their attention? How much can people take – and in what order of
priority? Have we overloaded them with anxiety or guilt? How do we make credible the threats we
perceive? Movements that fail to think carefully about this may fail to persuade.” - Lester R. Brown in
Roszak, Gomes, & Kanner (Eds.) (1995), p. xiv
Course Description: As a species and as a planet, we currently face many environmental problems, the
scope and urgency of which are unprecedented. Most psychologists and scientists agree that human
behavior has been one of the primary causes of climate change and other pressing environmental
problems. However, our own behavior remains one of the least well understood and most-often
ignored components of the climate system. Dramatic changes in human behavior and decision-making
will be necessary if we are to foster more sustainable lifestyles, mitigate or reverse some of the
environmental damages that we have caused, promote social justice, and re-establish a harmonious
connection to the natural environment.
The field of psychology has a lot to offer in terms of how we perceive, address, and cope with climate
change and other environmental problems. In this course, we will use psychological principles,
theories, and methods to examine the relationship between human beings and the natural world. We
will review important social, cognitive, and affective factors that underlie a range of sustainable and
non-sustainable behaviors. We will discuss why many pro-environmental campaigns have been
relatively unsuccessful (and even harmful), based on psychological concepts. We will explore the
important role that psychology can play in efforts to limit the negative impact of environmental
problems, by helping individuals and communities communicate the risks more effectively, make better
decisions, adopt pro-environmental behaviors, push for more sustainable policies and business
practices, and better adapt to and cope with environmental problems and changes.
Objectives: This course will provide an overview of psychology’s potential contributions (knowledge,
theory, research) to sustainability. I hope that my students will:
 Develop a greater understanding of the psychological, social, and real-world factors that prevent
people from engaging in sustainable behavior
 Develop an understanding of ways that psychology can be utilized to promote and encourage
pro-environmental behavior, both at the individual and collective level
 Understand the practical implications and limitations of psychological theory through real-world
testing and application of course material
 Develop and enhance their analytical skills through critical reflection and discussion
 Reflect upon their personal values and lifestyle choices
 Be inspired to take action to address these problems, and inspire others to do the same
2
Course Format: Although I will lecture a bit in this course, the class will be run as a seminar, with a focus
on discussion and self-reflection. (Research has demonstrated that information is not sufficient to
change our thoughts and behavior; we need to engage both our hearts and our minds in order to be
most effective.) Most of the assignments are experiential, requiring you to take information from class,
apply it in an everyday context, and then reflect upon the results in class discussion as well as in writing.
Teaching Philosophy: I will do everything I can to facilitate your learning of the material in class, in my
office hours, via email, and on the discussion board as long as you demonstrate an eagerness to learn
and active engagement with the course material. I will happily go above-and-beyond for those students
who are willing to do the same. I expect a lot from my students because I expect a lot from myself.
Expectations: it is my hope that setting clear expectations from the get-go about student behavior will
prevent problems down the road… PLEASE ask me if you have any questions about:
Attendance
Class attendance is critical, particularly in a small course. In lieu of serious and verifiable circumstances,
there will be a 10-point deduction from your final grade (out of 200 possible points) for any missed class.
If you must be absent due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, please contact me as soon as
possible. (You are responsible for checking in with your peers about any missed material.) If you are
late regularly, this will also count as an absence. In other words, get to class!
Electronics
Using your cell phone or text messaging during class is disrespectful and distracting, and it will interfere
with your engagement with the course material. If I catch you texting or otherwise using your phone
during class, I will deduct 10 points from your final grade (out of 200 possible points).
Academic Integrity
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty
by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. Specifically, cheating will result
in a “0” for the assignment in question and may result in a failing course grade and dismissal from the
university. Please ask for help if you are having trouble with the course content. Plagiarism is an
example of academic dishonesty and will be handled accordingly. If you have any questions about what
might constitute plagiarism, please let me know. Finally, all students need to be familiar with the
Student Conduct Code (http://life.umt.edu/vpsa/student_conduct.php)
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities: In accordance with The University of Montana’s mission
to provide equal educational opportunities for all students, I am willing to provide necessary
accommodations for students with disabilities. If you require any accommodations, please make them
known to me, and I will work with the office of Disability Services for Students in adapting this course.
(See: http://www.umt.edu/disability).
Incompletes: Departmental and university policies regarding incompletes do not allow changing
“incomplete” grades after one year has passed since the “I” was granted.
Course Requirements:
(1)
Class Discussion (50 points): discussions will be critical in this class, so it is very important that
everyone comes to class having read the assigned readings and being prepared to discuss the
3
day’s material. (Sitting on the sidelines won’t solve the environmental problems we face…)
Your participation grade will be based on thoughtful, respectful, and productive engagement in
class discussions. Creativity and critical thinking are also encouraged. If you are having trouble
speaking, please talk to me outside of class so that we can develop a strategy for improvement.
Although some people are more hesitant to speak up in class than others, only those students
who participate consistently and meaningfully will receive full credit.
(2)
Reaction/Reflection papers (50 points): every third week, you will submit a 2-3 page
reaction/reflection paper that demonstrates significant engagement with several of the
preceding weeks’ assigned readings. These papers will provide an ongoing way for you and me
to assess your understanding and application of the course material. They will also provide an
opportunity for you to discuss personal reactions that you might not feel comfortable sharing
with the entire class. These papers will not be assigned individual grades (there are no “right”
answers), but you will receive full credit (10 points each) only if your papers demonstrate
significant engagement with the course readings, and if you submit them on time. Papers must
be handed in by 5PM on Friday. Late papers will receive no credit.
(3)
Self-Change Project (50 points): by the second week of class, you should choose a personal
behavior or set of behaviors that have damaging environmental consequences (e.g., driving,
using energy at home, eating meat, buying too much “stuff”) and try to change your behavior
for the duration of the class. (The larger the environmental impact or the more ambitious the
goal, the better.) I will ask you to record baseline data and maintain a log of your progress. You
should keep track of the challenges, obstacles, feelings, and thought patterns that accompany
your efforts to make and sustain your behavior change. It’s easy to underestimate how difficult
behavior change can be when thinking about it in the abstract or when focusing on other
people’s behavior. Now you get to “walk the talk”! I would like you to write up your reflections
about the assignment, documenting your success or lack thereof, the challenges you faced, your
self-observations, and your reflections. Due the last day of class. (See “Self-Change Project
Description” on Moodle for more details.)
(4)
Course Project (50 points): you must complete an additional class project that incorporate
concepts, theory, or research covered in class. Projects can be done in pairs or small groups, if
you would like, but the final product’s length, complexity, or ambitiousness should reflect the
number of people working on it. The projects should demonstrate significant application,
integration, and extension of the course material. The sky’s the limit here, and effort will be
rewarded. A few suggestions:




Deliver a detailed psychological critique of an environmental program or communication
campaign (local, at home, or found on the internet) which identifies its strengths and
weaknesses and suggests ways to improve its effectiveness
Deliver a detailed critique, with particular attention to values and frames, of a pseudoenvironmental campaign or advertisement, noting ways in which it uses psychological
concepts or principles to deliver its “environmental” or “green” message
Write a 10-15 page research paper, plus references, on a topic related to the course. Please
use Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins, 1.5 line spacing.
Develop a class presentation (s) (Talking points, hand-outs, AV materials, etc.) for
elementary-, middle- or high school students that utilize(s) concepts from the class to raise
awareness or alter behavior related to environmental problems
4







Interview someone who is involved in environmental or sustainability issues. This could be
an activist, a business person, a politician, an educator, a scientist, etc. During the course of
the interview, share with him/her relevant ideas and findings that you have learned in this
class. Discuss ways that psychological approaches and concepts could be utilized to advance
their issues and concerns, and get their feedback/reactions to these ideas
Develop an informal communication strategy to raise awareness about an environmental
issue of your choice and try it out on a small group (e.g., your partner, parents, siblings,
friends, team, club, or floor). It must be based on the principles and theories used in class,
and you must document both your experience (internal and external), and your target
audience’s response (solicit feedback)
Develop a formal communication campaign aiming to change larger group behavior on
campus (e.g., dorm or department) or in the community (e.g., organization, business, or
neighborhood). Be sure to describe your target audience and why you designed your
campaign/program in the way that you did
Design a psychological research project to test some hypotheses raised by the course
material. You don’t need to conduct the study, but the design should be feasible and
sufficiently detailed that you could run the study if you had the time and the resources
Design a program to promote sustainable behavior, environmental stewardship, or
sustainability on campus or in the community. Identify a target behavior, make
observations, and then develop a strategy to foster change. You don’t need to implement
the program, but the design should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate your mastery of
the class concepts, and it should include some provision for program evaluation
Consult with a professor in a discipline other than psychology who works on environmental
issues. Explore with them ways in which psychological insights or collaboration between the
disciplines could assist them in their work, and write up your discussion
Another original, creative idea of your own. (Run it by me!)
Grading: Course grading will be based on a total of 200 points. Any assignments that are late will be
graded down 5 points (out of 200) for every day that they are late. Final grades will be based on the
following scale:
187-200 points: A
180-186 points: A173-179 points: B+
167-172 points: B
160-166 points: B153-159 points: C+
147-152 points: C
140-146 points: C-
133-139 points: D+
127-132 points: D
120-127 points: D< 120 points: F
Main Texts: The books I will refer to most frequently in this course are:
 Doppelt, B. (2008). The Power of Sustainable Thinking. London: Earthscan.
 Koger, S.M. & Winter, D.D.N. (2010). The Psychology of Environmental Problems (3rd Edition).
New York: Psychology Press.
 McKenzie-Mohr, D. et al. (2012). Social Marketing to Protect the Environment: What Works. Los
Angeles: Sage Publications.
Acting Sustainably: To keep your costs down, I will make most readings for this course available via PDF
file on Moodle. To limit your carbon footprint, please consider printing out only what you need, and
using both sides of the paper, when doing the course readings and assignments.
5
Course Schedule
(Note: FINAL READINGS, ACTIVITIES, GUEST SPEAKERS AND CLASS DATES STILL TBD!)
WEEK ONE:
Psychology and Environmental Problems: Introduction to Course and to Each Other
Required Reading:
 Senge et al. (2008), Chapter 2: “How We Got Into This Predicament” (pp. 14-32).
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 1: “What on Earth Are We Doing?” (pp. 1-29).
 Rockstrom et al. (2009), “A Safe Operating Space for Humanity” (pp. 472-475).
 Shepard (1995), “Nature and Madness” (pp. 21-54).
 Swim et al. (2011), “Psychology’s Contributions to Understanding and Addressing Global Climate
Change” (pp. 241-250).
 US Global Climate Change Research Program (2009), “Global Climate Change Impacts in the
United States” (Executive Summary, skim the rest)
WEEK TWO:
How We Got Into This Mess (I): The Tragedy of the Commons, Ethics, and Social (In)Justice
Required Reading:
 Doppelt (2008), Chapter 2: “Making Our Fate” (pp. 15-21).
 Hardin (1968).
http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/articles/art_tragedy_of_the_commons.html
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 2: “The Nature of Western Thought” (pp. 31-62).
 Senge et al. (2008), Chapter 12: “The Tragedy and the Opportunity of the Commons” (pp. 168178)
WEEK THREE:
How We Got Into This Mess (II): Population Growth and Consumer Culture
Required Reading:
 Bartlett, “The Most Important Video You Will Ever See” (Video, 8 parts)
 Durning (1995), “Are We Happy Yet?” (pp. 68-76)
 Kanner & Gomes (1995), “The All-Consuming Self” (pp. 77-91).
 Population Action International (2010), “Population Growth: Where We’re Headed and What
We Can Do”
 Senge et al. (2008), Chapter 3: “Life Beyond the Bubble” (pp. 33-41).
 Swim, Clayton, & Howard (2011), “Human Behavioral Contributions to Climate Change” (pp.
251-264).
 Vlek & Steg (2007). Human Behavior and Environmental Sustainability: Problems, Driving
Forces, and Research Topics.
6
WEEK FOUR:
Emotions, Risk Perception, and Psychological Defenses
Required Reading:
 APA (2010), “How Do People Understand the Risk Imposed by Climate Change?”
 Gilbert, Daniel: “Global Warming and Psychology” (video)
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 3: “Psychoanalytic Psychology: Becoming Conscious of the
Unconscious” (pp. 63-94).
 Lertzman (2008), “The Myth of Apathy”
 Leiserowitz (2005), “American Risk Perception: Is Climate Change Dangerous?”
 Randall (2009), “Loss and Climate Change: The Cost of Parallel Narratives”
WEEK FIVE:
Environmental Attitudes, Values, Beliefs, and Identities
Required Reading:
 Bramston et al. (2010), “Assessing Environmental Stewardship Motivation”
 Clayton & Myers (2009), Chapter 4: “Environment and Identity”
 Crompton (2010), “Common cause: The Case for Working with our Cultural Values”
 Devine-Wright & Howes (2010), “Disruption to Place Attachment and the Protection of
Restorative Environments: A Wind Energy Case Study”
 Doppelt (2008), “Motivating Others to Think and Act Sustainably”
 Kennedy et al. (2009), “Why We Don’t ‘Walk the Walk’: Understanding the Environmental
Values/Behaviour Gap in Canada”
 Kollmuss & Agyeman (2002), “Mind the Gap: Why Do People Act Environmentally and What are
the Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior?”
 Stern (2000): “Environmentally
WEEK SIX:
Cognitive Psychology and Sustainability
Required Reading:
 Bazerman (2006), “Climate Change as a Predicable Surprise”
 Capek (2008), “Influential Experiences and the Psychology of Escalating Commitment”
 Doppelt (2008): Chapter 4: “Sustainability Thinking Blunders” (pp. 37-55).
 Doppelt (2008): Chapter 5: “How We Think” (pp. 59-68).
 Feinberg & Willer (2011), “Apocalypse Soon? Dire Messages Reduce Belief in Global Warming
By Contradicting Just World Beliefs”
 Koger &Winter (2010), Chapter 7: Cognitive Psychology: Information Processing” (pp. 195-225).
 Norgaard (2010), “Cognitive and Behavioural Challenges in Responding to Climate Change”
 Weber (2011), “The State of Research on Behavior and Climate Applications”
7
WEEK SEVEN: Social Psychology and Sustainability
Required Reading:
 Koger & Winter (2010): Chapter 4, “Social Psychology: Under the Influence of Others” (pp. 95130).
 Schultz et al. (2007), “The Constructive, Destructive, and Reconstructive Power of Social Norms”
WEEK EIGHT:
Developmental Psychology
Required Reading:
 Barrows (1995), “The Ecopsychology of Child Development” (pp. 101-110).
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 9: “Developmental Psychology: Growing Healthy Children in
Nature” (pp. 261-288).
 US Partnership (2009), “Educating for Sustainability”
WEEK NINE:
Communicating about Environmental Problems: Frames, Audiences, and Values
Case example: Proposition 23 in California; http://www.stopdirtyenergyprop.com/get-the-facts.php.
Enlisted public health community to re-frame the problem (away from an environmental frame)
Required Reading:
 CRED (2009), “The Psychology of Climate Change Communication”
 Maibech et al. (2010), “Reframing Climate Change as a Public Health Issue: An exploratory study
of Public Reactions”
 Leiserowitz (2007), “Communicating the Risks of Global Warming; American Risk Perceptions,
Affective Images, and Interpretive Communities”
 Newell & Pitman (2010), “The Psychology of Global Warming: Improving the Fit Between the
Science and the Message”
 Nisbet (2009), “Communicating Climate Change: Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement”
 Pike et al. (2010), “Climate Change Communications and Behavior Change: A Guide for
Practitioners.”
 Westen (2011), “Changing Minds on Climate Change”
WEEK TEN:
Emotional Well-Being, Mental Health, and the Environment
Required Reading:
 The Climate Institute (2011), “A Climate of Suffering: The Real Costs of Living with inaction on
Climate Change”
 Doherty & Clayton (2011). “The Psychological Impacts of Global Climate Change” (pp. 265-276).
 Fritze et al. (2008), “Hope, Despair, and Transformation: How Do People Adapt to and Cope with
the Perceived Threat and Unfolding Impacts of Climate Change?”
8







Grattan et al. (2011), “The Early Psychosocial Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spoll on
Florida and Alabama Communities”
Greenway (1995), “The Wilderness Effect and Ecopsychology” (pp. 122-135).
Kaplan & Kaplan (2008), “Bringing Out the Best in People: A Psychological Perspective”
Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 8: “Health and the Psychology of Environmental Stress” (pp.
227-260).
Macy (1995), “Working through Environmental Despair” (pp. 240-259)
Shapiro (1995), “Restoring Habitats, Communities, and Souls” (pp. 224-239).
“Do Environmentalists Need Shrinks?”
WEEK ELEVEN:
Changing Individual Behavior
Required Reading:
 Doppelt (2008): Chapter 6: “How We Change” (pp. 69-85).
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 5: “Behavioral Psychology: Contingency Management” (pp. 131164).
 Ray (2007), “Altar Call for True Believers: Are We Being Change, or Just Talking About Change?”
 Tidwell (2008), “To Really Save the Planet, Stop Going Green”
 The Onion (2009), “I’m Doing My Inconsequential Part to Save the Environment”
WEEK TWELVE:
Changing Group and Community Behavior
Required Reading:
 Doppelt (2008), “Motivating Teams and Organizations to Thinking Sustainably”
 McKenzie-Mohr & Smith (1999), Excerpts from “Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction
to Community-Based Social Marketing”
 McKenzie-Mohr et al. (2011), Excerpts from “Social Marketing to Protect the Environment”
 Psychologists for Social Responsibility and Friends of the Earth (2011), “Inspiring Action: The
Role of Psychology in Environmental Campaigning and Activism”
 Roberts (2011), “Time to Ruggedize: We Should Talk More about Preparing for Climate Change”
 Schelly et al. (2010), “Reducing Energy Consumption and Creating a Conservation Culture in
Organizations: A Case Study of One Public School District”
 Senge et al. (2008), Excerpts from “The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and
Organizations are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World”
WEEK THIRTEEN:
Building Empathy
Required Reading:
 Bullard & Johnson (2000), “Environmental Justice: Grassroots Activism and Its Impact on Public
Policy Decision Making”
 Clayton (2000), “Models of Justice in the Environmental Debate”
9






Opotow & Weiss (2000), “Denial and the Process of Moral Exclusion in Environmental Conflict”
Berenguer (2010), “The Effect of Empathy in Environmental Moral Reasoning”
Schultz (2000), “Empathizing With Nature: The Effects of Perspective Taking on Concern for
Environmental Issues”
Prilleltensky & Nelson (2009), “Community Psychology: Advancing Social Justice”
Evans & Loomis (2009). Organizational and Community Change
“Evolution of Empathy and the Ways That It’s Shaped Our Society” (video)
WEEK FOURTEEN:
Ecopsychology: Restoring Our Connection to the Biosphere
Required Reading:
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 10: “Holistic Approaches: Gestalt and Ecopsychology” (pp. 289320).
 Roszak (2001), Chapter 2: “Modern Psychology in Search of Its Soul”
 Kidner (2006), “Reuniting Psyche and Nature”
 Kidner (2007). Depression and the Natural world: Towards a Critical Ecology of Psychological
Distress”
WEEK FIFTEEN:
Putting It All Together: Conclusions and Reflections
Required Reading:
 APA (2010). Summary and Discussion (pp. 80-84)
 Koger & Winter (2010), Chapter 11: “Putting It All Together: Using Psychology to Build a
Sustainable World” (pp. 321-354).
 Novotney (2009). Postgrad growth area: Environmental psychology. Create a career protecting
the planet.
 Macy & Doherty (2010), “An Annotated Guide to Graduate Education in Environmentally
Focused Psychology and Therapy in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.”
 Senge et al. (2008), Chapter 4: “New Thinking, New Choices”
(SELF-CHANGE PROJECTS DUE.)