Discussion: Social Psychology and the Environment What factors might explain the

Discussion: Social Psychology and the Environment
What factors might explain the different attitudes people hold about climate change? Why do some people engage in behaviors that have negative consequences for the environment? Among researchers, there are different perspectives about the degree to which external/situational factors, internal/personal factors, or a combination of both exert the greatest influence on people’s attitudes and actions (see Gifford, 2008; Stern, 1993). You might even have your own personal theory as to why people differ in their attitudes and behaviors toward the environment.
For this Discussion, you will apply social psychology theory to explain how to influence a human behavior that either protects or threatens the environment. You will also identify at least three challenges to intervention design and delivery in this context—one challenge for each of the following three areas: theoretical, practical, and ethical. For the response post, you will explain a strategy to address at least one challenge that your classmate identified.
References
Gifford, R. (2008). Psychology’s essential role in alleviating the impacts of climate change. Canadian Psychology, 49(4), 273–280. doi:10.1037/a0013234
Stern, P.C. (1993). A second environmental science: Human-environment interaction. Science, 260(5116), 1897–1899. doi:10.1126/science.260.5116.1897
To Prepare:
Review this week’s Learning Resources, and reflect on how human behavior can protect or threaten the environment and how social psychology could be applied to encourage or discourage this behavior. Also, think about the challenges of designing and delivering interventions in the environmental domain.
By Day 4
Post a descriiption of a human behavior that either protects or threatens the environment at the local, national, and/or international level. Next, explain a specific social psychology theory (or theories) that could be applied to either encourage or discourage this behavior. Then, describe a theoretical challenge, a practical challenge, and an ethical challenge for intervention design and/or delivery in this context.
Support your response with reference to this week’s Learning Resources and other relevant scholarly literature.
Required Resources
Required Readings
Bator, R. J., Tabanico, J. J., Walton, M. L., & Schultz, P. W. (2014). Promoting energy conservation with implied norms and explicit messages. Social Influence, 9(1), 69–82. doi:10.1080/ 15534510.2013.778213
Sapiains, R., Beeton, R. J. S., & Walker, I. A. (2016). Individual responses to climate change: Framing effects on pro‐environmental behaviors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46(8), 483–493. doi:10.1111/jasp.12378
Required Media
American Psychological Association. (2014, October 6). Protecting the planet through conservation psychology [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7DNpkXbNpUs
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.