How can psychology help us understand and solve environmental and energy-related problems?

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A social network approach to community energy initiative participation

This perspective paper argues how a social network approach can contribute to creating a more comprehensive picture of how individual and community characteristics influence participation in community energy initiatives (CEIs).

Moral hypocrisy and the hedonic shift: A goal-framing approach

We find that there is such a thing as hedonic moral hypocrisy and that it is indeed brought about by hedonic shifts from cues in the environment. This seriously undermines the meaning of a normative consensus for norm conformity.

Podcast episode: energy governance and degrowth (with Adrien Chanteloup)

What is energy governance? What does society value most in a degrowth society? Does degrowth just mean consuming less?

‘Towards Net-Zero through a Circular Economy: the consumer and business perspectives’ Stakeholder Workshop

The CircEUlar and CIRCOMOD teams are delighted to announce an opportunity to hear about their latest research and contribute to shaping the next phases of work. A stakeholder workshop will take place on Tuesday, September 17th in Groningen.

Lisa Novoradovskaya: Can paying people to turn off their solar panels affect behavioural change?

We often assume that money motivates people, but in psychological research, it has been demonstrated again and again that offering people financial incentives only works short term.

Editorial in ROmagazine September edition: How to increase citizen engagement in climate policy

Many people do not feel sufficiently involved and heard in climate policy development, which is why including the perspectives of all groups in policy development is crucial. How can we increase citizen involvement and include all perspectives?

Are we on the same page? Understanding value similarity and its impact on public trust in institutions of the energy sector

Perceived value similarity and trust in institutions are higher when people perceive institutions to have stronger biospheric values than themselves and when they expect institutions to be less egoistic than themselves.

NWO Goda Perlaviciute chosen as Embassy Science Fellow

Congratulations to our colleague associate professor Goda Perlaviciute for being chosen as an Embassy Science Fellow for public support of future-proof energy systems with the French embassy in the Netherlands!

The Next Step: the after movie

The Next Step summer school after movie is here! Thank you to all our participants, sponsors, speakers, supervisors and organisers, and a huge thank you to our communications intern Li for this beautiful video that really captures the "work hard, play hard" balance of this special week.

Citizen assemblies should involve citizens as experts on their own values

Associate professor Goda Perlaviciute proposes a paradigm shift that creates explicit room for citizens’ values in citizen assemblies (CAs). Using concrete examples, she illustrates how every step of CAs could be transformed to elicit citizens’ values: from citizen selection, to setting the remit, facilitating the discussion, and shaping and institutionalizing policy recommendations.

Green hydrogen consortium with key roles for University of Groningen researchers receives 13 million euros

A consortium to study the socio-economic impact of green hydrogen, including our colleagues Linda Steg and Goda Perlaviciute, has been granted 13 million euros in total funding.

“It’s not my place as a scientist to also play the part of politician”

Professor Linda Steg has co-written numerous alarming reports on climate change, but in a recent interview with the Dutch Research Council, she explains why she does not choose to be an activist herself.

Podcast episode: climate adaptation and anxiety (with Anne van Valkengoed)

Are climate adaptation and mitigation mutually exclusive? Does climate anxiety play a role in how willing – or able – people are to pursue adaption measures? Can environmental psychology help overcome resistance to adaptation?

Dutch Scientific Climate Council advises government to act decisively with policy on CO2 removal to meet climate goals

The Dutch Scientific Climate Council (WKR), of which our colleague professor Linda Steg is a member, advises the new government cabinet to urgently focus on policy for permanent CO2 removal om their just released advisory report, "Clearing the Air?".

Recycling matters, but consuming less matters more

Despite its comparative ease of use, recycling is actually the least impactful behavior when you look at waste.

Who we are and what we do

The Environmental Psychology Groningen expertise group investigates how willing people are to make a personal contribution to the cause of combating climate change and which policies can effectively encourage sustainable behaviour.

Read our most recent publications

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