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The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope
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The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 36026

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Susan Clayton

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Psychology Department, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, USA
Interests: climate change; environmental identity; climate anxiety; conservation psychology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Psychology is increasingly recognized as a discipline that is key to advancing environmental sustainability. Not only are humans causally responsible for the environmental crises we currently face due to climate change and biodiversity loss, humans will also be powerfully affected by these crises. Previous work in sustainability psychology has largely been characterized by a focus on understanding factors that influenced behavior as well as environmental concerns. It was largely guided by an emphasis on behavioral mitigation—how to change behavior in a way that reduces harmful environmental impacts—or on the examination of people’s beliefs and understanding of environmental problems. It also represented work that primarily represented Western and high-income nations: what have sometimes been described as “weird” populations (white, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) (e.g., Tam, Leung and Clayton, 2021). However, what psychology has to offer is much broader. This Special Issue is designed to focus on new issues and populations that are important to advancing sustainability across the globe. We especially hope to emphasize collective action, possibilities for adaptation to changing environmental conditions, and the relevance of mental health to sustainability efforts.

This Special Issue invites the submission of new research as well as essays that critically reflect on the field in order to highlight research gaps and identify promising new directions in the psychology of sustainability. Papers that feature non-Western and indigenous groups, highlight the role of culture, and/or emphasize the role of participants across the lifespan and not just young adults are particularly welcome.

Reference:

Tam, K. P., Leung, A. K. Y., & Clayton, S. (2021). Research on climate change in social psychology publications: A systematic review. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 24(2), 117-143.

Prof. Dr. Susan Clayton
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • psychology
  • climate change
  • climate anxiety
  • environmental justice
  • global perspectives

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 12535 KiB  
Article
The Efficacy of Virtual Reality in Climate Change Education Increases with Amount of Body Movement and Message Specificity
by Anna C. M. Queiroz, Géraldine Fauville, Adina T. Abeles, Aaron Levett and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5814; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075814 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3882
Abstract
Climate change impacts are felt globally, and the impacts are increasing in severity and intensity. Developing new interventions to encourage behaviors that address climate change is crucial. This pre-registered field study investigated how the design of a virtual reality (VR) experience about ocean [...] Read more.
Climate change impacts are felt globally, and the impacts are increasing in severity and intensity. Developing new interventions to encourage behaviors that address climate change is crucial. This pre-registered field study investigated how the design of a virtual reality (VR) experience about ocean acidification could impact participants’ learning, behavior, and perceptions about climate change through the manipulation of the experience message framing, the sex of voice-over and the pace of the experience, and the amount of participants’ body movement. The study was run in 17 locations such as museums, aquariums, and arcades in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Denmark. The amount of body movement was a causal mechanism, eliciting higher feelings of self-efficacy while hindering learning. Moreover, linking the VR narrative about ocean acidification linguistically to climate change impaired learning compared to a message framing that did not make the connection. As participants learned more about the experience, they perceived the risks associated with ocean acidification as higher, and they were more likely to engage in pro-climate behavior. The results shed light on the mechanisms behind how VR can teach about ocean acidification and influence climate change behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)
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16 pages, 666 KiB  
Article
The “I” and the “We” in Nature Conservation—Investigating Personal and Collective Motives to Protect One’s Regional and Global Nature
by Annedore Hoppe, Immo Fritsche and Parissa Chokrai
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4694; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054694 - 06 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Personal pro-environmental action has often been explained in terms of personal cost-benefit analyses and personal capabilities. However, given that only collectives and not single individuals can effectively address large-scale environmental crises, such as mass extinction of species, peoples’ pro-environmental motivation might emerge from [...] Read more.
Personal pro-environmental action has often been explained in terms of personal cost-benefit analyses and personal capabilities. However, given that only collectives and not single individuals can effectively address large-scale environmental crises, such as mass extinction of species, peoples’ pro-environmental motivation might emerge from their perceived involvement in agentic collectives, as proposed in the social identity model of pro-environmental action (SIMPEA). Collective cognition and motivation (e.g., ingroup identification, ingroup norms, collective efficacy, and group-based emotion) might drive identified group members’ nature protection intention and behavior both directly and indirectly by affecting personal factors (e.g., personal attitudes). We tested this in two related nationally representative surveys of N = 2065 Germans, measuring both personal and collective predictors as well as nature protection intentions and behavior on either the regional or the worldwide, global level. As hypothesized, blockwise regression analyses suggest that collective factors affect people’s conservation action both directly and indirectly. In addition, participants’ identification with all humanity moderated the relationship between collective factors and personal intention (and personal norms) to protect global nature. Overall, the results support propositions of the social identity model of pro-environmental action and highlight the importance of collective factors motivating citizens’ conservation action. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)
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12 pages, 745 KiB  
Article
Psychological and Emotional Responses to Climate Change among Young People Worldwide: Differences Associated with Gender, Age, and Country
by Susan D. Clayton, Panu Pihkala, Britt Wray and Elizabeth Marks
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3540; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043540 - 15 Feb 2023
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 8016
Abstract
Recent research has described concern and anxiety about climate change, especially among young people, but limited data are available looking at the responses of adolescents. Based on further analysis of an existing dataset that obtained survey responses from young people aged 16–25 in [...] Read more.
Recent research has described concern and anxiety about climate change, especially among young people, but limited data are available looking at the responses of adolescents. Based on further analysis of an existing dataset that obtained survey responses from young people aged 16–25 in 10 different countries, this paper examines differences associated with gender and age, which are important predictors of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Gender differences were small but consistent, with female respondents expressing greater levels of concern and negative emotions, while male respondents were more optimistic and expressed greater faith in the government. Within this narrow age group, there were small but significant positive correlations showing that concern and negative emotions about climate change were higher among older respondents. There were complex differences among countries; in general, respondents in the Philippines, India, and Nigeria reported a stronger psychological impact of climate change than respondents in the United States and Finland. These results help to describe the extent and patterns of climate anxiety in multiple locations around the world in an age range that is relatively understudied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)
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53 pages, 1447 KiB  
Article
The Process of Eco-Anxiety and Ecological Grief: A Narrative Review and a New Proposal
by Panu Pihkala
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16628; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416628 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 16704
Abstract
As the ecological crisis grows more intense, people experience many forms of eco-anxiety and ecological grief. This article explores the broad process of encountering eco-anxiety and ecological grief, and engages in the constructive task of building a new model of that process. Eco-anxiety [...] Read more.
As the ecological crisis grows more intense, people experience many forms of eco-anxiety and ecological grief. This article explores the broad process of encountering eco-anxiety and ecological grief, and engages in the constructive task of building a new model of that process. Eco-anxiety and grief are here seen as fundamentally healthy reactions to threats and loss, and only the strongest forms of them are seen as problems. The aim is to help researchers, various professionals and the general public by providing a model which is (a) simple enough but (b) more nuanced than stage models which may give a false impression of linearity. The article uses an interdisciplinary method. The proposed new model includes both chronological and thematic aspects. The early phases of Unknowing and Semi-consciousness are followed potentially by some kind of Awakening and various kinds of Shock and possible trauma. A major feature of the model is the following complex phase of Coping and Changing, which is framed as consisting of three major dimensions: Action (pro-environmental behavior of many kinds), Grieving (including other emotional engagement), and Distancing (including both self-care and problematic disavowal). The model predicts that if there is trouble in any of these three dimensions, adjusting will be more difficult. The model thus helps in seeing, e.g., the importance of self-care for coping. The possibility of stronger eco-anxiety and/or eco-depression is always present, including the danger of burnout. The ethical and psychological aim is called Adjustment and Transformation, which includes elements of, e.g., meaning-finding and acceptance. The need for Coping and Changing continues, but there is more awareness and flexibility in a metaphase of Living with the Ecological Crisis, where the titles and subtitles of the three dimensions of coping are switched. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)
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Review

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16 pages, 296 KiB  
Review
Climate Distress: A Review of Current Psychological Research and Practice
by Jordan Koder, James Dunk and Paul Rhodes
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8115; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108115 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2587
Abstract
Environmental disasters will increase in frequency and severity due to disruptions to Earth systems, including increased global mean temperatures, caused by human activity, and consequently our health care system will be burdened by ever-increasing rates of illness, mental and physical. Psychologists will need [...] Read more.
Environmental disasters will increase in frequency and severity due to disruptions to Earth systems, including increased global mean temperatures, caused by human activity, and consequently our health care system will be burdened by ever-increasing rates of illness, mental and physical. Psychologists will need to respond to this pressure by ensuring they have the training, education and interventions to respond to climate-related distress, as well as realising the limits of the therapeutic approach. Climate psychology, a recent field of study integrating and advancing core expertise around climate distress, has become more prominent with the increasing urgency of climate change and emerging documentation of its impacts on mental health and wellbeing. The purpose of this scoping review is to survey the research being undertaken on climate distress, and to identify gaps in the existing literature with a view to shaping practice and informing future research. Younger people, notably, are experiencing climate distress disproportionately and will bear a larger share of the mental health burden caused by climate change, and yet their voices are underrepresented in theoretical and practical interventions. Enlisting young people as research collaborators and co-designers will facilitate more effective responses to the psychological aspects of the climate crisis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)

Other

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14 pages, 248 KiB  
Essay
Climate Change as Liminal Experience—The Psychosocial Relevance of a Phenomenological Approach
by Nicu Gavriluță and Lucian Mocrei-Rebrean
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065407 - 18 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1545
Abstract
Liminality is a sufficiently comprehensive concept to allow the description and interpretation of how we experience change as existing in a “betwixt and between time”. A situation of liminality implies an intrusion, always difficult to manage, of chaos, of the erratic, into the [...] Read more.
Liminality is a sufficiently comprehensive concept to allow the description and interpretation of how we experience change as existing in a “betwixt and between time”. A situation of liminality implies an intrusion, always difficult to manage, of chaos, of the erratic, into the harmony of everyday life. The activation of ecological sensitivities can lead to spontaneous liminal experiences, triggered by the awareness that the world around us is a changing environment. We intend to show that notions from phenomenology, such as home-world and alien-world, allow the interpretation of climate change as a situation of liminality that we experience due to the de-familiarization of the environment. The way we understand and interpret the world we live in is based on its normality, understood as constantly experienced in our daily bodily behavior. The notion of the home-world expresses the inter-subjective way in which we experience the natural world, as a world that is already given to us. Because its environmental meanings are actively imprinted in our lived corporeality, the home-world becomes a foundational standard against which changes in the natural environment are always cognitively compared within intuitive, already-constituted terms. The same world may appear alien to us when we become aware of sufficiently significant changes in the normality of our everyday experience, associated with discontinuities or disturbances. Because it places the familiar and known in tension with the unfamiliar and unknown, a liminal experience is always, at a subjective level, epistemologically transformative. To the extent that the surrounding natural world loses its already-given character, we will perceive it as an alien-world, more or less different from the one in which we lived our daily lives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Psychology of Sustainability: Expanding the Scope)
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