Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Measuring Light-Switching Behavior Using an Occupancy and Light Data Logger
Published on: January 16, 2020
Scalable psychological solutions to environmental problems
P Wesley Schultz1, Kathy Pezdek1
1Department of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, 150 East 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711, United States.
None:
Current levels of human consumption are unsustainable, and large changes are needed to both mitigate and adapt to environmental problems. In this review, we examine psychological interventions aimed at pro-environmental behavior, focusing on five scalable strategies: nudges, social norms, education, financial incentives, and contact with nature. Research has shown that each of these approaches can effectively promote pro-environmental behavior, although with varying degrees of effectiveness. This review article explores the cognitive processes that underlie these interventions, including heuristics, priming, and self-schemas. We discuss how drawing insights from cognitive science can help to enhance the effectiveness of efforts to promote change and, perhaps even more importantly, how these insights can help to prevent harmful, unintended environmental consequences.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Natural Selection and Adaptation
Beyond physical adaptations,...
Sustainable Development
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
Exponential Equations with Logarithms: Problem Solving
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

