Conservation Psychology

This textbook introduces the reader to the new and emerging field of Conservation Psychology, which explores connections between the study of human behavior and the achievement of conservation goals. People are often cast as villains in the story of environmental degradation, seen primarily as a threat to healthy ecosystems and an obstacle to conservation. But humans are inseparable from natural ecosystems. Understanding how people think about, experience, and interact with nature is crucial for promoting environmental sustainability as well as human well-being. The book first summarizes theory and research on human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to nature and goes on to review research on people's experience of nature in wild, managed, and urban settings. Finally, it examines ways to encourage conservation-oriented behavior at both individual and societal levels. Throughout, the authors integrate a wide body of published literature to demonstrate how and why psychology is relevant to promoting a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature.

First handbook to integrate environmental psychology and conservation psychology.

People are inseparable from natural ecosystems, andunderstanding how people think about, experience, and interact withnature is crucial for promoting environmental sustainability aswell as human well-being. This is the new edition of what is now the leading textbook inconservation psychology, the field that explores connectionsbetween the study of human behavior and the achievement ofconservation goals. Completely updated, this book summarizes theory and research on ways in whichhumans experience nature; it explores people’s conceptions ofnature and environmental problems, their relationship with nature,and their moral lenses on nature; and examines ways to encourageconservation-oriented behavior at both individual and societallevels. Throughout, the authors integrate a wide body of researchdemonstrating the role of psychology in promoting a moresustainable relationship between humans and nature. New sections cover human perceptions of environmental problems, newexamples of community-based conservation, and a “positivepsychology” perspective that emphasizes the relevance ofnature to human resilience. Additional references are to be foundthroughout this edition along with some new examples and areorganisation of chapters in response to reader feedback. This fascinating volume is used for teaching classes to seniorundergraduate and graduate students of Conservation Psychology,Environmental Psychology and Conservation Science in departments ofPsychology, Geography, Environmental Science, and Ecology andEvolution. It is equally suitable as a starting point for otherresearchers and practitioners - psychologists, conservationbiologists, environmental scientists, and policy-makers - needingto know more about how psychological research can inform theirconservation work.

People are inseparable from natural ecosystems, and understanding how people think about, experience, and interact with nature is crucial for promoting environmental sustainability as well as human well-being. This is the new edition of what is now the leading textbook in conservation psychology, the field that explores connections between the study of human behavior and the achievement of conservation goals. Completely updated, this book summarizes theory and research on ways in which humans experience nature; it explores people’s conceptions of nature and environmental problems, their relationship with nature, and their moral lenses on nature; and examines ways to encourage conservation-oriented behavior at both individual and societal levels. Throughout, the authors integrate a wide body of research demonstrating the role of psychology in promoting a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature. New sections cover human perceptions of environmental problems, new examples of community-based conservation, and a “positive psychology” perspective that emphasizes the relevance of nature to human resilience. Additional references are to be found throughout this edition along with some new examples and a reorganisation of chapters in response to reader feedback. This fascinating volume is used for teaching classes to senior undergraduate and graduate students of Conservation Psychology, Environmental Psychology and Conservation Science in departments of Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science, and Ecology and Evolution. It is equally suitable as a starting point for other researchers and practitioners - psychologists, conservation biologists, environmental scientists, and policy-makers - needing to know more about how psychological research can inform their conservation work.

Successful natural resource management is much more than good science; it requires working with landowners, meeting deadlines, securing funding, supervising staff, and cooperating with politicians. The ability to work effectively with people is as important for the conservation professional as it is for the police officer, the school teacher, or the lawyer. Yet skills for managing human interactions are rarely taught in academic science programs, leaving many conservation professionals woefully unprepared for the daily realities of their jobs. Written in an entertaining, easy-to-read style, The Conservation Professional’s Guide to Working with People fills a gap in conservation education by offering a practical, how-to guide for working effectively with colleagues, funders, supervisors, and the public. The book explores how natural resource professionals can develop skills and increase their effectiveness using strategies and techniques grounded in social psychology, negotiation, influence, conflict resolution, time management, and a wide range of other fields. Examples from history and current events, as well as real-life scenarios that resource professionals are likely to face, provide context and demonstrate how to apply the skills described. The Conservation Professional’s Guide to Working with People should be on the bookshelf of any environmental professional who wants to be more effective while at the same time reducing job-related stress and improving overall quality of life. Those who are already good at working with people will learn new tips, while those who are petrified by the thought of conducting public meetings, requesting funding, or working with constituents will find helpful, commonsense advice about how to get started and gain confidence.

Expanded new edition of a classic examination of the psychological roots of our ecological crisis.

Psychology for Sustainability, 4th Edition -- known as Psychology of Environmental Problems: Psychology for Sustainability in its previous edition -- applies psychological theory and research to so-called "environmental" problems, which actually result from human behavior that degrades natural systems. This upbeat, user-friendly edition represents a dramatic reorganization and includes a substantial amount of new content that will be useful to students and faculty in a variety of disciplines—and to people outside of academia, as well. The literature reviewed throughout the text is up-to-date, and reflects the burgeoning efforts of many in the behavioral sciences who are working to create a more sustainable society. The 4th Edition is organized in four sections. The first section provides a foundation by familiarizing readers with the current ecological crisis and its historical origins, and by offering a vision for a sustainable future.The next five chapters present psychological research methods, theory, and findings pertinent to understanding, and changing, unsustainable behavior. The third section addresses the reciprocal relationship between planetary and human wellbeing and the final chapter encourages readers to take what they have learned and apply it to move behavior in a sustainable direction. The book concludes with a variety of theoretically and empirically grounded ideas for how to face this challenging task with positivity, wisdom, and enthusiasm. This textbook may be used as a primary or secondary textbook in a wide range of courses on Ecological Psychology, Environmental Science, Sustainability Sciences, Environmental Education, and Social Marketing. It also provides a valuable resource for professional audiences of policymakers, legislators, and those working on sustainable communities.

This volume is comprised of contributions to the 67th Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, which brought together various research disciplines such as psychology, education, health sciences, natural resources, environmental studies to investigate the ways in which nature influences cognition, health, human behavior, and well-being. The symposium is positioned to explore two proposed mechanisms in the most depth: 1) the psycho-evolutionary theory of stress recovery and 2) Attention Restoration Theory. The contributions in the volume represent research guided by both of these posited mechanisms, rigorously examine these theories and processes, and share methodological innovations that can be utilized across programs of research. This volume will be of great interest to researchers on natural environments, practitioners and clinicians working with an environmental lens at the intersection of psychology, social work, education and the health sciences, as well as researchers and students in environmental and conservation psychology. Chapter 5 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.