| Unit name | Changing Climate, Behaviour and Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PSYC30028 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Davis |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Psychological Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Time is running out to stop global heating from reaching catastrophic levels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, achieving “a sustainable future for people and nature requires rapid, radical and transformative societal change”, and the necessary system change must be underpinned by “collective action as part of social movements or lifestyle changes”. The University of Bristol has a focus on teaching and research that will promote a sustainable planet, and this strategic priority is one of the reasons it was the first university to declare a climate emergency (in 2019). A 2023 BPS position statement notes that psychologists are uniquely placed to help tackle climate change. Psychologists are experts in human behaviour, motivation and change, and can offer support to individuals and communities, as well as an evidence-base that aims to influence policy and policy makers. This unit aims to give students the knowledge and skills to make these contributions.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The climate crisis intersects with psychology in many different ways, and this unit draws on multiple topics covered in other parts of the programme, including attitudes, behaviour (and the gap between these two), social norms, emotions and psychological resilience. Climate communication relates to the psychology surrounding misinformation and motivated reasoning, but also connects to topics in health psychology – how to inform individuals about risks that pose a threat to their well-being in ways that promote action and behaviour change rather than helplessness and inaction. The psychology of protest shows how experimental methods can be used to study topical social issues.
An overview of content
The unit consists of three parts. Part I begins by discussing the background to the climate crisis and then turns to the underlying psychology. What is the role of emotions like fear, anger, guilt and sadness in our response to climate change? Why has the global response to climate change thus far failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? How much is due to people’s failure to understand climate science, and what role has been played by misinformation (and how can such misinformation be tackled)? What are the different forms of climate change denial, and what causes these?
Part II focuses on how people can change their behaviour to respond adaptively to the climate crisis. What can we learn from health psychology about the role of threat appraisal and perceived efficacy? Why is it hard to promote (and make) behavioural changes to what we eat and how we travel? To what extent are the climate and ecological crises driven by human’s relationship with nature, and are there interventions that can improve this relationship?
Part III discusses the role of psychology in bringing about social change. How do we change the status quo in the face of powerful vested interests that are resisting change? What are the factors that influence whether an individual joins collective action movements? Is activism an antidote for climate anxiety? What are the underlying psychological mechanisms that determine how protest influences observers, and how do these help and/or hinder those who seek change?
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
On successful completion of the unit, students will:
Be able to describe the aspects of human psychology that have been argued to contribute to the climate crisis, as well as the critique of purely psychological accounts that ignore systemic factors.
Be able to explain the role that psychologists can play in responding to the climate crisis at the individual, community and societal level.
Have a good understanding of the attitude-behaviour gap, particularly as it relates to climate behaviour.
Be able to describe how misinformation exploits cognitive vulnerabilities and interacts with individuals’ underlying values and beliefs.
Understand the different aspects of climate denial and some of the factors that give rise to this phenomenon.
Be able to explain the different components of efficacy, how these relate to behaviour, and what can be done to increase self-efficacy, particularly in the context of the climate crisis.
Understand the factors that influence whether individuals choose to take part in collective action, particularly in the context of climate action.
Recognise the role of people’s attitudes and beliefs (and in particular people’s sense of connectedness with nature) in the ecological crisis, and be able to describe interventions that aim to modify these attitudes and beliefs.
Have undertaken a deeper personal engagement with the climate and ecological crises.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:
This unit will comprise weekly lectures and seminars. The lectures will be interactive, and the sessions will include exercises designed to encourage discussion. The lectures will be accompanied by weekly seminars with guest experts who will join online to discuss relevant research and ideas. The seminar that discusses interventions to increase connectedness with nature will include a local field trip led by an ecopsychologist.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There will be an in-class exercise in the first lecture to help students prepare for the coursework assessment. Halfway through the unit there will be a tutorial devoted to the coursework, including a Q+A session. Students will also be encouraged to ask questions on a Blackboard forum. At the conclusion of the unit there will be a tutorial devoted to discussing the timed assessment. The lectures will be accompanied by weekly seminars with guest experts who will join online to discuss relevant research and ideas.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The coursework will involve creating a piece of communication that aims to influence some aspect of climate/ecological attitudes and/or behaviour. Students are encouraged to be creative and are welcome to choose their preferred medium: a short video; a narrated presentation; a flyer/poster/leaflet; a poem, short story or song; or a (documented) direct action (e.g., one of the actions listed by Sharp, 1973; students intending to follow this route should first consult the unit director to discuss their plans). The communication should be relatively brief and be accompanied by a longer document that: explains which audience(s) the communication targets; analyses the components of the communication and the theoretical/empirical rationale for these components; discusses the pros and cons of these components; and briefly considers how this communication could be evaluated in order to assess its efficacy.
When assessment does not go to plan
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. If the Board deems it appropriate students will be asked to complete an alternative assessment: a piece of coursework in the same format as the original coursework or exam in the reassessment period (for students unable to complete the original assessment).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PSYC30028).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
