Ecopsychology and psychology of sustainability

Timetable

1 group, 2 didactic hours per week 

Module aim (aims)

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this seminar, students will be able to:

• Understand the core principles of ecopsychology and its relationship to mental health and well-being
• Analyze the psychological factors that influence sustainable behaviour
• Critique diverse theories within ecopsychology and environmental psychology
• Apply psychological theories and research to promote a sustainable future
• Articulate personal and professional motivations regarding ecopsychology 
• Describe work in terms of measurable and equitable outcomes at various scales and measure (e.g. specific biomarkers) 
• Articulate relevant principles of counselling and educational ethics, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of existing ethics codes in providing guidance for ecologically based practice

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

1. Knowledge:

• Basic Psychology: Familiarity with fundamental psychological concepts and theories (e.g., cognitive processes, social psychology)
• Environmental Science/Studies (Recommended): A basic understanding of ecological principles, environmental issues, and sustainability concepts is helpful, but not strictly required.
• Research Methods (Helpful): Familiarity with basic research methods in the social sciences (e.g., experimental design, survey methods, qualitative research) will aid in understanding empirical studies discussed in the course.

2. Skills:

• Critical Thinking: Ability to analyze complex ideas, evaluate evidence, and form reasoned arguments.
• Reading Comprehension: Capacity to effectively read and understand academic articles and theoretical texts.
• Written Communication: Strong writing skills, including the ability to clearly and concisely articulate ideas in written form.
• Oral Communication: Ability to effectively communicate ideas verbally, participate in class discussions, and deliver presentations.
• Research Skills: Ability to locate and evaluate relevant sources of information for research projects.

3. Social Competencies:

• Open-Mindedness: Willingness to consider diverse perspectives and engage with ideas that may challenge existing beliefs.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively in group settings, contribute to discussions, and collaborate on projects.
• Respectful Communication: Capacity to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue, even when differing opinions are present.
• Empathy: Ability to understand and appreciate the perspectives and experiences of others, particularly in relation to environmental issues.
• Active Listening: Ability to listen attentively to others, seek clarification, and respond thoughtfully.

Note: Students lacking specific prerequisites but possessing a strong interest in the subject matter are encouraged to contact the instructor to discuss their background and suitability for the course.

Syllabus

This seminar explores the intersection of ecopsychology, the psychology of sustainability, and biological perspectives to understand the psychological interdependence of humans and the natural world, and how this relationship impacts mental health and well-being. It examines how psychological principles can contribute to solving ecological problems and promoting a sustainable future. The course also considers the biological underpinnings of human behaviour in relation to the environment.

The seminar will involve a combination of didactic presentations, discussions, exercises, role-plays, outdoor activities, and video presentations. Students will be expected to actively participate in discussions, complete readings, written assignments, and online dialogues, and deliver in-class presentations.

Weekly Topics:

• Week 1: Introduction to Ecopsychology
  • Overview of ecopsychology: its origins, definitions, and key concepts
  • Exploring the relationship between human mental health and the natural environment
  • Discussion of environmental identity and the ecological self
• Week 2: Foundations of Environmental Psychology
  
  • What is Environmental Psychology and how is it different?
• Week 3: Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development
  • Psychology’s innovative contribution to sustainability and sustainable development
  • Promotion of effective and sustainable well-being for individuals and environments from a psychological research perspective
• Week 4: Biological Perspectives on Human-Environment Interactions
  • Evolutionary psychology and its relevance to understanding human behaviour in natural settings.
  • The impact of environmental factors on human physiology and psychology.
• Week 5: Conservation Psychology
  • The scientific study of the reciprocal relationships between humans and the rest of nature
  • How people's thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs affect their relationship with nature
• Week 6: Ecotherapy and Wilderness Therapy
  • Exploring the therapeutic benefits of nature
  • Ethical considerations in ecotherapy and wilderness therapy practices
• Week 7: Environmental Stewardship
  • Study of the cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes that promote conservation
• Week 8: Environmental Activism and Advocacy
  • Psychological motivations for environmental activism
  • Strategies for effective environmental advocacy
• Week 9: Environmental Ethics
  • Principles of counseling and educational ethics
  • Strengths and weaknesses of existing ethics codes in providing guidance for ecologically-based practice
• Week 10: Applications of Psychology to Mitigate Ecological Problems
  • How psychology might help contribute to solve, or to mitigate, ecological problems that are likely to occur in this century, including depletion of natural resources (especially fossil fuels), human population overshoot of the planetary carrying capacity, climate change, species extinction, etc.
• Week 11: Self-Reflection and Environmental Identity
  • Understanding your own environmental identity
  • Motivations for taking an environmental approach in academic and professional work
• Week 12: Integrating Ecopsychology into Practice
  • Ways to integrate ecopsychology into existing theory and practice base
  • Collaboration with others having differing values

Assignments:

• Reading Responses: Students will write short responses to the assigned readings, demonstrating their understanding of the key concepts and theories.
• Class Presentation: Each student will lead a class discussion on a relevant topic, integrating insights from the readings and their own research.
• Final Project: Students will complete a final project that applies ecopsychological principles to a specific environmental issue or context.

Grading:

• Reading Responses: 20%
• Class Presentation: 30%
• Final Project: 50%

 

 

Reading list

Amel, E. L., Manning, C. M. & Scott, B. A. (2009). Mindfulness and Sustainable Behavior: Pondering Attention and Awareness as Means for Increasing Green Behavior, Ecopsychology, 1, 14-25.

Bragg, E. A. (1996). Towards ecological self: Deep ecology meets constructionist self-theory. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 16, 93–108.

Hughes, J., Richardson, M., & Lumber, R. (2018). Evaluating connection to nature and the relationship with conservation behaviour in children. Journal for Nature Conservation, 45, 11-19.

Jordan, M. & Marshall, H. (2010) Taking counselling and psychotherapy outside: Destruction or enrichment of the therapeutic frame? European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling, 12, 345–359.

Lumber, R., Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2018). The pathways to Nature Connectedness: A focus group exploration. European Journal of Ecopsychology, 6: 47-68.

Randall (2009) Loss and Climate Change: The Cost of Parallel Narratives. Ecopsychology, 3, 118-129.

Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2017). Three good things in nature: Noticing nearby nature brings sustained increases in connection with nature. Psyecology, 8(1), 1-32.

Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2015). Reflective self-attention: A more stable predictor of connection to nature than mindful attention. Ecopsychology, 7 (30), 166-175.

Richardson, M., Hussain, Z. & Griffiths, M.D. (2018). Problematic Smartphone Use, Nature Connectedness, and Anxiety. Journal of Addictive Behaviours.

Richardson, M., Maspero, M., Golightly, D., Sheffield, D., Staples, V. & Lumber, R. (2017). Nature: A new paradigm for wellbeing and ergonomics. Ergonomics, 60(2).

Richardson, M., McEwan, K., & Garip, G. (2018). 30 Days Wild: who benefits most? Journal of Public Mental Health, 17(3), 95-104.

Salingaros, N. (2015). Biophilia and Healing Environments.

Solomon, O. (2012). Doing, Being and Becoming: The Sociality of Children with Autism in Activities with Therapy Dogs and Other People. Cambridge Anthropology, 30, 109-26.

Ulrich, R. (1983) View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224, 420-421.

Van den Berg, A.E., & Ter Hejine, M. (2005). Fear versus fascination: Emotional responses to natural threats. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25(3), 261-272.