Psychological approaches to sustainability : current trends in theory, research and applications

An international team of leading scholars and young researchers in environmental psychology offers a relatively new perspective on the origin and solutions of the current environmental crisis. They explain how human nature has played a prominent role in the emergence of ecological problems such as global warming, threats to biodiversity, resources scarcity and pollution. But also, they demonstrate that such problems are interlinked with social problems such as poverty, famine, social and economical inequities and violence. According to this book's authors, psychological theories and empirical evidence show that the solutions for those socio-ecological problems are to be found in human nature and its psychological predispositions. These include personal motives, world-visions, future perspective, environmental emotions, altruistic tendencies and behavioral capacities among other psychological predispositions that could allow the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. Meeting the ideals of sustainability requires the participation of the natural and social sciences, including psychology, in order to guarantee the fulfillment of its purposes. Behavioral sciences study the psychological characteristics and the contextual factors that lead people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. In addition, these sciences investigate how sustainable behaviors promote happiness, psychological well being and restoration, which are considered among the aims of sustainable development by governments throughout the world. The authors, who are recognized experts in these areas, offer a state-of-the-art review and data on what it is known regarding the psychological dimensions of the environmental crisis, its behavioral solutions and the repercussions of sustainable behavior on human well being. Introduction to the psychological dimensions of sustainability / VIctor Corral-Verdugo, Martha Frías-Armenta and Cirilo H. García-Cadena -- Global warming, climate change and human psychology / Taciano L. Milfont -- Social-psychological and contextual predictors of sustainable water consumption / Giuseppe Carrus ... [et al.] -- How to promote energy savings among households : theoretical and practical approaches / Linda Steg and Wokje Abrahamse -- Ecological worldviews / Bernardo Hernández ... [et al.] -- Leverage for sustainable change : motivational sources behind ecological behavior / Nina Roczen, Florian G. Kaiser and Franz X. Bogner -- The socio-psychological affinity towards diversity : from biodiversity to socio-ecological sustainability / Mirilia Bonnes ... [et al.] -- Promoting pro-environmental intentions : theoretical background and practical applications of travel feedback programs for car use reduction / Satoshi Fujii and Ayako Taniguchi -- Altruism and beyond : the motivational bases of pro-environmental behavior / Verónica Sevillano, Juan I. Aragonés and P. Wesley Schultz -- Equity and sustainable lifestyles / Victor Corral-Verdugo ... [et al.] -- Time perspective and sustainable behavior / Jose Q. Pinheiro and Victor Corral Verdugo -- Promoting pro-environmental competency / Blanca Fraijo-Sing ... [et al.] -- Emotions and pro-environmental behavior / César Tapia-Fonllem ... [et al.] -- Contextual influences on sustainable behavior / Dawn Hill, Aurelio José Figueredo and W. Jake Jacobs -- Why do people fail to act? Situational barriers and constraints on pro-ecological behavior / Rui Gaspar de Carvalho, José Manuel Palma-Oliveira and Victor Corral-Verdugo -- Community sustainablity : orientations and implications from environmental community psychology / Esther Wiesenfeld and Euclides Sánchez -- Place attachment and the social acceptance of renewable energy technologies / Patrick Devine-Wright -- Cultural background and environmental context of water perception and use / Gabriel Moser ... [et al.] -- Influence of social and legal norms on anti-ecolocigal behaviors / Martha Frías-Armenta and Ana M. Martín -- Urban sustainability, psychological restoration and soundscapes / Sarah R. Payne -- Happiness and sustainable behavior / Robert B. Bechtel and Victor Corral-Verdugo.