Presented By: Kyla T. Johnson Loyola Marymount University

1. Putting It Together: Using Psychology to Build a Sustainable WorldBy: Susan M. Koger and Deborah Du Nann Winter Presented By: Kyla T. Johnson Loyola Marymount University

2. Kroger and Winter suggest that the world can be saved They are convinced that a sustainable world can be attained through combining the six different psychological approaches as each would provide “insights about changing individual behavior, thoughts, feelings, physiological reactions, or beliefs” (Kroger, 2004). • Six Approaches • Freudian • Social • Behavioral • Physiological and Health • Cognitive • Holistic Approaches: Gestalt Ecological Psychology Can We Save the World…

3. Psychological Approaches • Freudian Psychology: • Human race is able to conceptualize the instinctive and irrational nature of individual human behavior • We are able to recognize and understand our environmentally destructive behavior thus enabling us to become familiar with our own patterns of defense • This familiarity will hopefully allow us to become less habitual in our practice of them • Social Psychology • Demonstrates the degree to which the human race prefers to sustain an invariable, logical perspective of the world • Social psychology is able to offer insight into “how to change people’s attitudes by subtly changing their behavior first” • The social psychological approach emphasizes the significance of how the we, as the human race, construct meaning for our actions The way in which we attribute our actions can either help or hinder changes toward environmentally responsible behavior

4. Psychological Approaches • Behavioral Psychology • Concentrate on actual behavior rather than the latent intentions and underlying meanings • An individual analyzes and alters his environmentally destructive behavior without any concern of deeper-rooted issues • B.F Skinner further emphasized the importance of the immediate situation on our behavior, which led him to argue that our actions are a function of the consequences of our own behavior • Physiological and Health Psychology • Environmental pollution and toxic chemicals directly affect an individuals’ stress level • Physiological and health psychologists insists that by taking better care of the Earth, we in turn are taking better care of ourselves.

5. Psychological Approaches • Cognitive Psychology • Environmentally destructive behavior can be attributed to that of inadequate or incorrect information • Through becoming aware of potential errors we are able to make better judgments about complex situations • Cognitive approach can aid us in becoming more proficient decision makers by improving the quality and use of information • Part of the problem is that individuals view themselves separate from one another as • well as from ecological systems • the gestalt approach emphasizes the human races’ extreme connectedness with the larger world • Through enhancing our identification and connection with the natural world, we will be more • motivated to attain a sustainable world • Holistic Approaches: Gestalt and Ecopsychology

6. Combining All Six Approaches • All six approaches assist us in understanding our current predicament and further infer possible solutions • The complexity of human behavior does not allow one approach to capture everything—thus all six approaches offer explanatory devices that can be useful at different stages

7. Six Operating Principles 1.) Visualize healthy ecosystems 2.) Work with small steps and big ideas 3.) Think circle instead of line 4.) Consider ways in which less is more 5.) Practice conscious consumption 6.) Act on personal and political levels, especially community participation

8. Operating Principles Visualize an Ecologically Healthy World Our dependence on fossil fuel must subside as the global supply is quickly diminishing.  It is important to build motivation from a positive source Positive thoughts of a future are “desperately needed to spur both our own and others’ commitment to solving environmental problems” Ecologically healthy human society cars that run on fuel cells factories that restore water materials created for durability instead of mass production organic food and the creation of new nontoxic materials that are tougher than steel and lighter than plastic

9. Operating Principles Work with Big Ideas and Small Steps Instead of becoming distracted by small problems, we should be more concerned with taking small steps to work on big problems In order to keep optimal arousal, we should “define problems in terms of small wins. Small wins have immediacy, tangilibility, and controllability that reverse powerlessness and apathy” Small wins have the advantage of facilitating success, which aids in creating momentum and motivation for future change Think Circle Instead of Line The linear model of the Industrial Revolution, where “inexhaustible” inputs are created to manufacture damaging wastes The “Next Industrial Revolution” should “design human activities that follow natural laws of circular change” Through this process, “wastes” will now be food, just as they are in natural circles in which wastes serve as fertilizer for the next generation of growth

10. Operating Principles Less Is More Sustainability refers to hardships and sacrifice rather than considering that with increased human attention, less can be more a. Physical level: less is more simply means enhanced efficiency b. Psychological level: more wealth does not equal more happiness; people report more fulfillment when they have personal relationships, a sense of belonging and some religious or spiritual faith

11. Operating Principles Practice Conscious Consumption Conscious consumption not only suggests that we reduce how much we buy and consume but it further proposes that we choose environmentally friendly products a. concerned about the conservation of natural resources b. concerned about the wider impact on the natural systems Conscious consumption is believed to be one of the public’s most powerful political and economical tools

12. Operating Principles Act on Personal and Political Levels, Especially Community Participation In order for psychology to make a practical contribution in attaining a sustainable world, it must also be implemented in political contexts thus changing the economic, legal and political structural “dimension of environmental decline”  Participate in public decision-making through voting on local and global environmental issues as well as tracking and speaking out about national and international legislation

13. Conclusion Our environmental problems can be solved through the use of psychology, as we must balance our knowledge of the complex issues, at hand, with a strong commitment to strive toward sustainability. We must re-think our own consumption, encourage self-sufficiency and promote cultural integrity

14. Reference Koger, M. S., & Winter, D. D. (2004). Putting It Together: Using Psychology to Build a Sustainable World. The Psychology of Environmental Problems (pp. 211-234). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates