Psychology and Global Climate Change: Addressing a Multi-faceted Phenomenon and Set of Challenges

This reading resource can be used by educators teaching Psychology or Social Sciences to show the psychological dimensions of climate change. It contains six sections that include

information on how people understand the risks imposed by climate change, human behavioral contributions to climate change, psycho-social impacts of climate change, how people adapt and cope with perceived threats due to climate change, psychological barriers that limit climate change action and how psychologists can assist in limiting climate change.

Students will learn about behavioural and cognitive psychology and the impacts of climate change. They will also learn about how societies respond, adapt and mitigate climate change impacts. Students will further learn about the challenges that human psychology poses on collective climate action and hence the need to understand it. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to: 

1. What are the psycho-social impacts of climate change?
2. How can the understanding of behavioural and cognitive psychology inform climate action?

About the Tool

Tool Name	Psychology and Global Climate Change: Addressing a Multi-faceted Phenomenon and Set of Challenges
Discipline	Psychology; Social Sciences; Humanities; Environmental Sciences
Topic(s) in Discipline	Climate Change and Human Health
Climate Topic	Climate and Health; Climate and the Anthroposphere
Type of Tool	Reading
Grade Level	Undergraduate
Location
Language	English
Translation
Developed by	American Psychological Association Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change
Hosted at	American Psychological Association
Link	http://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/climate-change-booklet.pdf
Access	Online/Offline
Computer Skills	Basic