An Introduction to Conservation Psychology: Exploring Psychology's Role in Environmental Conservation 2400-OG-EN-AICP

The goal of the course will be to illustrate how knowledge about the functioning of the human mind can be used to promote pro-environmental behaviors. If we want to address the current ecological crisis, we must learn to act in ways that are more beneficial to the environment, especially by reducing excessive energy and resource consumption. However, certain tendencies, such as focusing on self-interest, striving to emphasize our status, and failing to recognize environmental risks, hinder these efforts. Environmental psychologists note that the human mind did not evolve to effectively solve today’s ecological problems. Through appropriate social interventions, however, these inherent human tendencies can also be used positively. In this course, we will closely examine how this can be achieved to encourage more people to engage in nature conservation efforts at both individual and collective levels.